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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29911839">Life in the Stars</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/starryskye920/pseuds/starryskye920'>starryskye920</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doctor Who &amp; Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Beware swearing ahead, Dont own anything except Lyla, F/M, season one rewrite</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 19:55:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>52,611</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29911839</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/starryskye920/pseuds/starryskye920</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Follow season one through the eyes of a girl out of her universe. A sweet, curvy, down to earth and sarcastic Texan gets up-rooted from her universe to fix events that never happened in the Doctor Who- verse. </p><p>Bad summary, sorry not sorry. I know its been done to death but this is my take on season one with an oc.<br/>WIP. Update when I can. Rated for language, for now.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ninth Doctor/Original Character(s), Ninth Doctor/Original Female Character(s), Tenth Doctor/Original Character(s), Tenth Doctor/Original Female Character(s), The Doctor/OC</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>
  <b>Prologue</b>
</h1>
<p>"Come on Sam," Lyla quietly muttered to her six-month-old puppy as she watched him try to find a spot to relieve his tiny puppy bladder at two a.m. "It's too cold for these early morning wake-up calls ya lil' shit," she stated with a bit of fondness in her voice.</p>
<p>When the pup finally found the perfect spot to relieve himself, he trotted back to his owner with a happy tongue wagging smile. "Thank the Lord." Lyla reached down to unhook the leash with a soft pat on the head and quick rub of the ears, he took off back into the house. <em> Mutts probably back in the warm bed </em> , Lyla thought to herself with a shiver. Just as she was about to step through the front door, she heard it. <em> NO. Fucking. Way. </em> The very unmistakable sound of the Tardis materialization sequence. "What the hell," she whispered to the wind as she slowly shut the door and walked closer to the sound. <em> What? Who? HOW? </em>Her mind full of one-word questions and with a healthy dose of curiosity, she stepped off her porch to investigate.</p>
<p>She rounded the corner of the barn that was set off to the side of her family home and feasted her now wide and disbelieving eyes on an awfully familiar blue box. <b>BOOM. </b> She gave a slight jump as the noise blasted through the yard. <b>BOOM. </b> She blinked hard and slowly shook her head back and forth as she took a small step toward the box. The box itself was laying on its side with the doors facing her and was scuffed and scratched beyond belief. <b>BOOM. </b> If the hissing noise was anything to go by then she was leaking gas and there must have been a fire as well if the smoke was any indicator. Lyla took another slow step forward with only the words <em> MUST TOUCH SEXY </em> flowing through her mind. <b>BOOM. </b>The door came flying open and a man fell out and quickly stood.</p>
<p>Lyla completely froze. All breathing, thinking, and shivering stopped as she gazed upon the Master. The man coughed and wheezed as he slowly straightened his back and glanced around with a pinched expression. Once his eyes landed on the pale women, he quickly advanced and grabbed her upper arms in a tight grip and sneered at the young women.</p>
<p>It is like a live wire that shocked her back into reality when the first contact happened. "Where am I? Who are you? Where is she?" The questions come bullet fast at her face.</p>
<p>"America. Texas to be exact. Lyla Aylin. And where is who?" She answered automatically. Lyla pointed to the box that was behind him with a slightly shaking hand, "That's not yours."</p>
<p>The crazed man's eyes betrayed his shock for a split second before it cleared and gave away to suspicion, "How do you know that?" he demanded.</p>
<p>"Uh… That's Sexy. She belongs to her thief. You are not him." She replied distractedly, while her eyes never left the magnificent ship. <em> What the fuck is happening right now. If this is a dream, then please don't end because that is... that is… that's… holy crap-olla. </em></p>
<p>He quickly grabbed her by the neck and forced her eyes on him when he demanded again, "How. Do. You. Know. That." <em> OK. Now I want it to end. </em></p>
<p>Lyla blinked rapidly before replying in a slow manner, "Any Whovian worth their salt knows that."</p>
<p>Now confused the Master shook his head and returned to a previous asked question. "Where is the Bad Wolf?" <em> Seriously. </em></p>
<p>"What…" She blinked rapidly again, "What the What." <em> Really now, your 10 is showing. </em></p>
<p>"Bad Wolf." He gave her a harsh shake. <em> Ok, crazy dude needs to back off because I'm gonna punch him sooner rather than later and that's a fucking promise. </em></p>
<p>"There's no bad wolf here. The actress that played her is in London and sweetheart you got the flight a bit wrong if that was the goal," she informed the insane man. <em> Congrats you have been upgraded from crazy to insane. </em></p>
<p>"NO! These were the exact coordinates. Years of calculations and theories and this was the result." He accused while dropping her arms and turning around in a fury. "And all for a backwoods Barbie with an identity crisis."</p>
<p>"Hey! That was rude, asshole," she replied with a huff. "And what do you mean about the identity crisis. I fucking know who I am. I can't say the same for you though."</p>
<p>The Master paid no attention to Lyla as he paced in a circle while mumbling to himself, "I have to find her, or everything dies. The Doctor and I's work cannot be wasted. But why would she bring us here? Unless…" He trailed off and his head snapped in Lyla's direction. He stared at her with his head cocked to the side and an unknown look in his crazed eyes. He seemed to come to some type of decision and advanced quickly on Lyla while she finally got her shit together and stumbled back away from the insane man. "You are coming with me." <em> Hell, no creepy dude. </em></p>
<p>"What. NO," she fought his hands that were wrapping around her arms and him dragging her toward the Tardis doors.</p>
<p>They reached the Tardis where Lyla was thrown in as her kidnapper quickly followed with the doors slamming closed behind him. She slowly stood and looked around at the console room with wide disbelieving eyes until they rested on the frantically moving Master. "What the hell are you doin'." <em> I should probably be freaking out more… But it's the console room… </em></p>
<p>"You're going to save my universe." He replied while pushing buttons and turning dials as he raced around the console. <em> Nope that is it. I'm getting out. Sightseeing is over. Waking up would be just peachy right about now. </em></p>
<p>"Uh No. I have a life here." Lyla raced to the doors and tried to open them as she started to hear the disappearing sequence start. "Stop that and let me out you nut case," she started banging on the doors with her fist when she felt hands come around her and trapped her in a vise like grip. "What the hell are you doin?!" <em> Now is not the time to cop a feel crazy dude. </em> She now had to shout over the various noises happening in the room. The whole of the room started to shake after a huge explosion at the console. Tremors that would put any earthquake to shame rocked through her and the Master as he kept them from being tossed around the room. <em> Well at least he has some chivalry. </em> With a final explosion and loud crack, the Tardis seemed to settle, and the Master quickly released her and lunged for the doors. Lyla was quick to follow and nearly fainted when she stepped out into the center of London. "No no no no no no no…" Stumbling over her feet and her words, she braced herself on the side of the Tardis. <em> Is it just me or is the world spinning a bit? </em> Her eyes roamed their surroundings before they landed on her kidnapper, "What the fuck did you just do," she accused him as she quickly advanced. He eyed her with nothing less than disdain. Before he could get a word out, she pulled her fist back and let it launch right into his nose. <em> Told you I would punch you sooner rather than later. </em>With a satisfying crack Lyla pulled back and started in while he brought his hands up to his bleeding and broken nose. "Why would you bring me here. What the fuck were you thinking. I don't know anything about London. Or where exactly I am. Or when for that lovely matter. And I have absolutely nothing. No money. No ID. Hell, for all I know, no future or past. I don't belong here," she finished with a heaving breath and a defensive stance.</p>
<p>"Are you done?" He asked but not pausing to let her answer before he barreled on, "2004, May to be exact and you are somewhere in Cardiff if I had to guess." <em> Lovely Cardiff, </em>she thought disgustedly. Before Lyla could even speak her thoughts to that news, he had her by the neck and harshly pushed against the Tardis as he got close to her ear. "And you will save my universe. I don't care how you do it, but you will. Bad Wolf never happened. You will fix it," his voice dripped with venom and promised retribution if she didn't do as she was told. He released his immobile captive and shoved her to the side as he reached back into the Tardis and brought out a small backpack and tossed it at her. "Everything you need or will need is in there." He pushed her farther away and pointed down the street and with a sarcastic air left her with his parting words, "Hotel is that way."</p>
<p>She stood holding the backpack with white knuckled hands and mouth hanging open as she tried to get her mind around what was happening to her. He pushed her farther away and stepped back into the Tardis as it started to fade out of existence with a flash of gold. Lyla took a step back and slowly turned the way he pointed and made her way to the hotel. Her body was running on autopilot as she interacted with the front desk. Without thought, she reached into the bag that was her only possession in this universe and felt a flat object collide with her hand. She pulled out the mystery object and realized it was a wallet. Saying a silent thanks to the Tardis, she paid for the room for a couple of days to get her bearings together. Lyla ventured up to her room and slid down the door when it clicked closed behind her. Tears slide down her cheeks like rivers after a rainstorm. Never ending and not stopping anytime soon.</p>
<p><em> What am I gonna do? I'm stuck here! My family… SAM! </em> With that thought the crying turned into body shaking sobs. After the tears ran out and the room darkened, Lyla picked herself up and grabbed the gifted backpack and threw it on the bed where she followed. Once there she started to shift through the contents. <em> Assets. Assets. </em> She pulled out the first thing she touched which was the wallet again. She opened it to get a better understanding of what all the wallet held. She found that it was bigger on the inside and filled with cash and credit cards. <em> Well, that helps with housing and food. Still need clothes. And a job. And what the hell am I gonna do here. </em></p>
<p>The next thing she pulled out was another much slimmer black leather flip-fold wallet. She opened that and feasted her eyes on the newly obtained physic paper. <em> Well, that helps with getting an ID and any necessary papers for a job. </em></p>
<p>She reached back in and pulled out a laptop that was from her time. <em> Thank every deity ever thought of. At least it wasn't a clunky thing from '04. Wait…. Was the laptop out yet? Was WIFI?! Oh, Sweet lord, please be a supercomputer… </em> She turned the laptop on and the first thing she did was search desperately for the internet. <em> Oh, thank you Tardis! </em>Once google was pulled up she set it to the side to research later.</p>
<p>She reached in again and started pulling out clothes. Jeans, shirts, shoes, underwear, and everything in-between. She reached in again thinking that there can't be anything else that she could need when she pulled out three things: a cell phone, a Tardis blue journal with what looked like a computerized lock on the front, and two beautiful sparkling silver bracelets. She took each new item and examined them extensively.</p>
<p>The phone was a standard flip phone… a razor. <em> Oh, my freaking cheez-its. I remember these! </em>Lyla, with an air of excitement, she flipped it open and sped through the settings, her mind full of memories of better, funnier, and easier times.</p>
<p>She set the phone down and picked up the journal and turned it over a couple times. <em> Now how do I open this? Why would she give me this and not tell me how to open it? </em>After messing around with the journal for a couple more minutes, Lyla finally fed up with it and said with a bit of bite in her tone and a little shake to the journal, "Open Sesame."</p>
<p>The lock clicked open and a faint computerized voice was heard, "New password accepted." <em> Great. Just…great. </em> Lyla flipped through the journal absentmindedly. <em> Well, I guess she wants me to write my foreknowledge down. </em></p>
<p>She set down the journal and picked up one of the bracelets cautiously. <em> Why am I suddenly afraid of a simple silver bracelet? </em> She turned it over and noted the circling geometric pattern etched along the bracelet. She stared a little harder and was racking her brain for why those shapes looked familiar. Then it hit her, circular gallifreyan. <em> Well fuck. How am I going to find that from the Doctor? </em> She cautiously and slowly slipped the gallifreyan bracelet on her wrist. The bracelet instantly resized and fit snugly around her wrist while the clasp vanished from site. <em> That's freaky. </em> She tugged on the bracelet fruitlessly. With a huff and a bone deep sigh she gave up and carelessly slid the second bracelet on her other wrist. <em> What the fuck ever. Problem for another day. </em> She held up her newly adorned wrist and noted that the second bracelet had tiny wolves etched along it. She gave an eyeroll and a snort but found both bracelets beautiful and slowly laid back on the bed. Within seconds she was fast asleep.</p>
<hr/>
<h2>
  <b>JUNE-FEBRUARY</b>
</h2>
<p>Over the last eight months, Lyla found herself a fully furnished apartment, <em> FLAT remember that. They are called flats here. </em> She also set up some bank accounts and put three years' worth of money in for rent and utilities that were on auto payments because she knew of the Doctors horrid driving skills. One thing that Lyla did the day after she arrived was use her supercomputer to research her family and found that they did not exist in this universe. After she found that out a new round of tears came.</p>
<p>She was 10 minutes from the Powell estate and 15 from Henrik's, where she now worked alongside Rose Tyler, the other new and Rose were fast friends. Lyla's first-time meeting Rose she almost fangirled all over the poor women because she looked exactly like Billie Piper. <em> How does that even work? </em></p>
<p>She still had plenty of cash and she didn't even touch the credit cards, seeing as half where in alien languages for some reason and they hadn't been translated yet. She also bought stock in several companies that she knew would be huge in the future. <em> What is the use of foreknowledge if you can't help some worthy causes? </em></p>
<p>She had written most of what she knew about the show <em> Doctor Who </em> in her Tardis journal and found that it was bigger on the inside as well. So, she started writing her day-to-day life and what she could change and couldn't change about people dying. Lyla was also back and forth on the idea of telling the Doctor where she was from. <em> Maybe after Canary Wharf. </em> As time flew by it was 2005 and seeing as the Doctor should be showing up anytime to stop the Nestene Consciousness, Lyla was getting anxious. <em> It should happen in March. Around the restart day of New Who, right? Hopefully.</em></p>
<hr/>
<p>AN</p>
<p>For the next several weeks I'm really giving this story an overhaul. I'm just going to be nitpicking at somethings while maybe adding and clarifying others, so stay tuned. If you saw an update from me it's probably just an old chapter getting revamped. I'm a teacher so I really only work on this during the weekend when I am not catching up with video games and family. Thanks in advance for the patience and support.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Rose</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>
  <b>Rose</b>
</h1><p>Lyla woke up to her alarm blaring at 5am, "I think today is the day… I feel it." She mumbled to herself as she rolled out of bed to put on her workout gear. She coasted through a four-mile run that she was immensely proud to admit that she could do without dying halfway through. She stepped back into her apartment around 6 for a quick yoga stretch to stay flexible and to decompress after her run. Lyla jumped in the shower and quickly washed the sweat from her body, when she got out, she quickly combed through her naturally curly hair. Once her hair was semi normal and put together, she put on low-rise jeans with frayed knees, black tank top under a lightweight blue jean button up shirt, that she left unbuttoned. She laced up her black combat boots and tucked her jeans into the top. The leather jacket went on next before she was out the door again to grab a quick breakfast for both her and Rose before heading to Henrik's. The girls arrived at the same time and shared a warm smile as they walked in together.</p><p>Lyla handed her gifted breakfast over to the blonde female, "I hope today flies by!" she commented lightly.</p><p>Rose nodded to her friend and with a full mouth from the welcomed breakfast as she replied, "Ta' me too."</p><p>The morning passed quickly before lunch came around. Like most days, they had lunch together with Rose's boyfriend Micky, <em> hahaha Ricky, </em>before making their way back to work, where the day continued to play out in fast forward for Lyla as she waited patiently for closing time.</p><p>Before she knew it, the front door man was holding a bag of money for Rose to take down. When Lyla saw it, she froze for half a second, before she got her shit together because it was starting. <em> I knew it. </em>She turned to Rose, "Want me to go down with you? That way we can leave together and go to the pub Mickey was talking about earlier." When Rose hesitated, Lyla continued with a pleading look and puppy dog eyes, "And I don't have to wait out in the cold. You know how much I bitch about that."</p><p>Rose finally smiled and shook her head, "Why not."</p><p>They both made their way to the basement level to look for Wilson. Once they got to the creepy basement hallway, Rose called out to the Chief electrician, "Wilson? Wilson, I've got the lottery money. Wilson, are you there?" They continued down to Wilson's office door and Lyla reached forward to tug fruitlessly on the handle. "We can't hang about 'cos they're closing the shop. Wilson!" Rose paused before muttering under her breath, "Oh, come on."</p><p>"I don't think he's here Rose." Lyla said softly, trying not to create an echo in the dank basement.</p><p>"We haven't checked everywhere. He probably can't hear us." Rose said while walking deeper into the basement. <em> Or he's dead. I'm so sorry Mr. Wilson. </em> Off in the distance they heard a clattering and Rose called out again, "Hello?" She cautiously walked forward toward the noise. "Hello, Wilson, it's Rose and Lyla." Lyla heard the eerie whispering that echoed down the hallway, but followed after Rose, just in case. <em> Can't lose the blonde. Can't lose the get out of London on a time machine blonde. </em>"Hello? Wi-Wi-lson?" Rose stumbled over the electrician's name as she paused at a door before slowly opening it.</p><p>The hinges squeaked and squealed, causing Lyla to wince softly, "Rose. Really. Let's just go back please. This place is giving me the creeps. Like major creep fest. Grade A horror movie vibe going on." <em> Seriously though, this is much creeper in person. I was never one for scary movies. </em></p><p>"Stop being a scaredy cat Lyla. Nothing is down here. You watch to many horror movies." <em> Oh, please. I don't watch any scary movies. And you call yourself my friend. </em> Rose absentmindedly replied while walking further into the room and flicking the lights on. <em> And let there be light on these freaky plastic things. </em> As they walked further in, Rose called out again for the Chief electrician, "Wilson? Wilson!" The door slammed behind the two girls. They turned and ran back towards the closed door. Rose tried to open it, while Lyla kept watching over her shoulder at the dummies. <em> Oh, fuck. Let's get this over with. </em>Lyla turned back to see Rose pulling on the door and heard her mutter, "You're kidding me." A louder scratching noise was heard behind the two women. Both turn around quickly but Rose was the one to call out, "Is that someone mucking about?"</p><p>Lyla watched the shop dummy turn its head, she tugged on Rose's sleeve to grab her attention. Once Rose turned, the Dummy advanced on them, with Lyla tugging the still clasped sleeve of Rose, she started to creep away from the advancing dummy. <em> This is fucking fantastic. I hate dummies and dolls. So not cool. And 1,000 times worse in person. </em>"Yeah, you got me. Very funny," Rose stated, while taking a glance behind her as she stumbled back with Lyla. When she faced forward again more dummies started moving toward the pair. "Right, I've got the joke. Whose idea was this? Is it Derek's? Is it? Derek, is this you?"</p><p>"Rose it's not Derek." Lyla said slowly, trying to contain her irrational fear. <em> Oh hell, I know what's going to happen. Why am I still this scared? </em> "Can we run now?" Before they knew it, they were backed up against the pipes and the first Dummy raised its hand in a chopping like manner. <em> Anytime Doctor! Please don't be late! </em></p><p>Before the hand could come down on the two females, Lyla felt someone grab her hand. She glanced over and saw a face that froze her. <em> Thank god you weren't late. </em> He whispered, "Run."</p><p>The two girls took off, being led by the man in leather. They hit the elevator and the closest dummy stuck his arm out and it got caught in the closing doors. The Doctor grabbed and pulled several times before it popped off with a sound like a suction cup popping off glass. The Doctor examined the arm with Lyla looking on curiously. Her eyes shift from the arm to The Doctor every couple of seconds. Rose stated the obvious, "You pulled his arm off."</p><p>"Yep. Plastic." He said as he tossed the arm at Rose.</p><p>Rose barely caught the arm and gave the strange man a harsh look and sneered, "Very clever. Nice trick! Who were they then, students? Is this a student thing or what?"</p><p>Lyla sighed, "It's not students Rose. You know I hate to be the one to tell you this but, I told you so!"</p><p>Rose didn't take her eyes off the Doctor when she replied to Lyla, "And I told you, you watch too many horror movies." Lyla rolled her eyes and sighed to the heavens.</p><p>"Why would they be students," the Doctor said to Rose, completely ignoring Lyla for the moment.</p><p>Rose looked at him with lowered eyes as she tried to think but only came up with, "I don't know."</p><p>"Well, you said it. Why students?" The Doctor pressed her.</p><p>Rose tried again to put her thoughts and reasoning into words, "'Cos to get that many people dressed up and being silly, they got to be students."</p><p>"That makes sense. Well down," the Doctor said facing the doors again. He gazed back over his shoulder at Lyla and asked her, "What do you think they are?"</p><p>"Living plastic," Lyla said, not missing a beat and not thinking about what she was saying and to who. The Doctor turned around quickly and finally took a long look at Lyla. She panicked inwardly and was silently cursing herself out. <em> Really Lyla. Smooth fucking move, you idiot. Way to get the crazy smart alien all paranoid about who you are. Okay, Okay. Calm down. Let see if I can talk my way out of this. </em> She finally swallowed and continued her answer nervously, "Well that arm is solid plastic." She gestured to said arm in Rose's hand before continuing, "And they were up and walking around and a bunch at the same time too… That's too sophisticated for man-made robots especially without any wires." <em> And finish with the obvious. </em> "So, plastic that's alive. AKA Living plastic." <em> Well, that was very Sherlockian of me. And I'm impressed I did that on the fly and with the Doctor staring at me. </em></p><p>He eyed her with a critical look for half a beat but turning back to Rose, "They're not students."</p><p>"Whoever they are, when Wilson finds them, he's going to call the police," Rose stated matter-of-factly.</p><p>"Rose, they tried to kill us. What do you think happened to Wilson?" Lyla asked, as she flicked her eyes back and forth between the other occupants.</p><p>"Whose Wilson?" the Doctor asked.</p><p>"The Chief Electrician." Rose replied, finally looking away from the Doctor and back to her friend. "You think they killed him?"</p><p>She posed the question to Lyla, but the Doctor answered her instead, "I don't think. I know they did."</p><p>The elevator doors finally opened with Rose's call of, "That's just not funny. That's sick!"</p><p>"Who said it was funny Rose." Lyla stated as the Doctor turned toward the elevator control panel.</p><p>"Hold on. Mind your eyes," he stated as he whipped out his sonic screwdriver and zapped the panel to stop it from moving back up.</p><p>As he was doing that, Rose continued prattling, "I've had enough of this now." Rose was starting to get scared and whimpered out, "Who are you, then?" The Doctor ran past the two girls and Lyla followed while Rose continued in her insistent questioning, "Who's that lot down there? I said, who are they?" Rose took off after the other two.</p><hr/><p>Once Rose caught up to them, the Doctor answered her question, "Your friend was right. They're made of plastic. Living plastic creatures. They're being controlled by a relay device in the roof, which would be a great big problem if I didn't have this," he held up a small device. <em> Why is the first option always bombs? </em>"So, I'm going to go up there and blow them up, and I might well die in the process, but don't worry about me," he opened the back door and shooed the two out on the street. "Now, you go home. Go on. Go and have your lovely beans on toast. Don't tell anyone about this, because if you do, you'll get them killed," he closed the door on their shocked faces when he finished talking. They looked at each other with wide eyes and turned back to the door when it opened again. They saw the Doctor's head poke out as he clarified and asked with a grin, "I'm the Doctor, by the way. What's your name?"</p><p>"Rose."</p><p>"Lyla," The two girls answered hesitatingly to the leather clad Doctor.</p><p>"Nice to meet you, Rose. Lyla. Now run for your lives!" he advised then slammed the door shut again.</p><p>The two girls ran from the shop making it across the street and up a couple blocks before they turned around as one and looked back at their workplace. Just as they turned away from their work, the building went up in a big explosion and a blast of heat. The top floor windows exploded outward and the many people on the street started to panic and flee. The two girls took off down the street at a fast run.</p><p>Once Rose and Lyla got to Rose's flat, they burst through the door and were instantly mothered by Jackie. Rose tossed the plastic arm that she had yet to drop in all the mayhem and chaos, into the chair.</p><p>The news was playing the story of the department store blaze and Jackie could be heard talking on the phone to a friend about the ordeal. Lyla easily tuned Jackie out and stared absentmindedly at the wall, while rubbing at the wolf-etched bracelet that was left for her by the Tardis when she first got here. <em> I met him. The first—ninth Doctor. I met the Doctor. And he looks exactly like Christopher Eccleston. </em> Lyla took a deep breath as the situation finally sunk in, <em> holy shit and crackers. It's started. I'm really in the show. </em></p><p>Lyla was pulled from her thoughts when Mickey came barreling in looking all concerned, "I've been phoning your mobile. You could've been dead. It's on the news and everything. I can't believe that your shop went up!" He took a seat next to Rose and pulled her into a hug. <em> Oh, thanks Rickey for all the concern of my well-being. Douche nozzle. </em>Lyla huffed and rolled her eyes at the couple.</p><p>"I'm all right, honestly, I'm fine! Don't make a fuss," Rose sighed as she gently pushed him back into his seat.</p><p>At the sight of domestics from the two, Lyla turned to Rose and told her, "I'm gonna go get a shower, then make up the floor to crash on. It's been a day."</p><p>Rose looked over and nodded, but Mickey grabbed her attention again before she could say anything. Lyla walked back to Rose's room to grab a spare set of her pajamas that she always kept at Rose's and made her way to the small bathroom.</p><p>Lyla striped down and gazed at her reflection in the mirror. She saw wide equally frightened and excited green eyes stare back at her. They roamed over her tanned curves, various tattoos, and the occasional scar before making the trek up to her hair. <em> Not to sound like a narcissist, but I look good. That running sure does wonders for your figure. </em> She noticed the tangled mess of chocolate curls and with a sigh she stepped into the shower to wash and prepare herself for the impromptu sleepover and the exciting next day that she knew was coming.</p><hr/><p>The next morning Lyla and Rose were woken rudely by the room owners alarm clock at 7:30. They heard Jackie from the kitchen shout at the two groggy girls, "There's no point in getting up, sweethearts. You've got no job to go to." They both give great big sighs and slump back onto the pillows.</p><p>When they both were up and sitting in the kitchen with coffee, Jackie started in on the two young women about getting new jobs already. "There's Finch's. You could try them. They've always got jobs."</p><p>"Oh, Great. The butchers." Rose stated monotonously, just as excited about a new job as Lyla was.</p><p>"Well, it might do you good. That shop was giving you airs and graces. And I'm not joking about compensation. You've both had genuine shock and trauma," Jackie continued as she got up to leave the room. "Arianna got two thousand quid off the council just because the old man behind the desk said she looked Greek! I know she is Greek, but that's not the point. It was a valid claim." Jackie finished her tale as she entered her bedroom to finish getting ready for the day.</p><p>"I'm so not interested in hearing about getting a job when mine just exploded." Lyla commented off handedly to Rose causing her to chuckle. <em> Bigger picture… Tardis and the Doctor. </em>Both girls heard what sounded like a cat scratching at the floor when Rose got up angrily from the table.</p><p>"Mum, you're such a liar. I told you to nail that cat flap down. We're going to get strays." <em> I would get slapped from here to next week if I talked to my mother like that. </em></p><p>"I did it weeks back." Her mother answered faintly.</p><p>"No, you thought about it." Rose mumbled and both girls made their way to the front door where they saw nails on the floor in front of the cat flap. Rose bent down and picked up a nail just as the cat door flapped open causing Rose to startle and drop the nail quickly.</p><p>"What is it?" Lyla asked with barely contained mirth and giggles. Rose gave her the stink eye and mumbled something that Lyla didn't catch but caused the women to lose control on her already barely contained giggles. With a final roll of her eyes, Rose bent down lower and flicked the cat flap before fully opening it and peeking through. She jumped up and unbolted the door to open it to the face of the Doctor.</p><p>"What are you two doing here?" The Doctor said accusatory.</p><p>"I live here.", "I crashed here." Rose and Lyla replied at the same time.</p><p>"Well, what do you do that for?"</p><p>"Not everyone can live the life of a gypsy Doctor," Lyla replied with a small smile and sparkling eyes.</p><p>"Because I do. We're only at home because someone blew up our job," Rose said.</p><p>While Rose was answering the doctor, he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and turned it on to a certain setting. While it buzzed and glowed blue, he commented lightly, "I must have got the wrong signal. You're not plastic, are you?" He reached over and knocked on both girl's foreheads. "No, bonehead. Bye, then." Before he could take a step back, Rose and Lyla grabbed him quickly and at different parts of his body. While Rose grabbed his upper arm, Lyla grabbed a lapel of the leather jacket and both girls pulled him back inside the flat.</p><p>"You. Inside. Right now," Both girls said at the same time.</p><p>"Who is it?" Jackie asked from her bedroom.</p><p>Lyla still had a hold of the Doctors coat while Rose released his arm and went to talk with her mother. "It's about last night. He's part of the inquiry. Give us ten minutes."</p><p>The Doctor stepped into Jackie's doorway and she exclaimed, "She deserves compensation."</p><p>"Oh, we're talking millions." The Doctor indulged.</p><p>Before the whole awkward conversation between the two could really begin, Lyla released her hold on the jacket with a pat and walked off toward the living room while thinking to herself, <em> so incredibly dense, he is. And Jackie thinking that something could happen… what a laugh. </em></p><p>When the Doctor finished his conversation with Jackie, he made his way to the living room to see that Rose was trying to straighten up, "Don't mind the mess. Do you want tea?"</p><p>"Might as well, thanks. Just milk," He replied. He looked over at Lyla to see that she was leaning against the door frame that separated the kitchen from the living room. He made note that she was wearing the same clothes as yesterday minus the blue jean shirt and her hair was down and in its natural curly state. Her chocolate curls flying carelessly around her.</p><p>"And you Lyla?" Rose asked over her shoulder from the kitchen stove.</p><p>"Unless you want to make sweet-iced tea then I'm fine Rose." Lyla answered with a cheeky smile back at her friend.</p><p>"UGH. You and your southern tastes," she complained with an answering small smile.</p><p>Rose started in on her questioning to the Doctor and Lyla instantly ignored her in exchange for watching the Doctor fool around with random objects around the room. He picked up a paperback book and flipped through at a rapid speed like looking at some flipbook artwork, "Hmm. Sad ending." He sat that down and moved toward the mirror in the room, but something caught his eye, or he was just being downright nosey when he picked up a piece of mail, "Rose Tyler," he read out. He finally looked up and came face to face with a mirror, where he starred for a couple of seconds before he reached up and flicked both of his ears, "Ah, could've been worse. Look at the ears."</p><p>"I like the ears." Lyla stated off handedly. <em> And that body. The broad shoulders and leather work for me. Wait… What? Oh fuck, do not get a crush on the Doctor. He is meant for Rose. Do not mess up the best and most heartbreaking love story of the universe. </em>He turned to look at her where she was lounging against the door frame and picking at her nails but was looking slyly at him from under her lashes. He gave her a disarming look and swept his eyes up her body in a lightning-fast manner again.</p><p>He ignored her for the moment and got back to browsing the space. He saw a deck of cards and started to sing, "Luck be a lady." He tried to shuffle and lost control of the cards causing them to fly everywhere around the room. "Maybe not," he replied off handedly to Lyla, who was laughing her ass off at the display. He gave her a small smile but then was distracted by something that sounded like a cat behind the couch. "Have you got a cat," he asked as he made his way toward the noise.</p><p>"No, she doesn't have a cat," Lyla replied. She doesn't have much time from him asking the question to the Dummies arm launching itself at the Doctor's throat. <em> I knew I was forgetting something. Dammit Lyla! Concentrate. Fawn later when the world isn't ending or about to end. </em></p><p>Lyla tuned back into Rose, "We did have, but now they're just strays. They come in off the estate," Rose added while the Doctor tried to pry the hand off with Lyla's help.</p><p>Rose walked in with two mugs of tea and glanced at the two struggling to release the plastic hand. "I told Mickey to chuck that out. You're all the same. Give a man a plastic hand. And you Lyla, playing along. Anyway, I don't even know your name. Doctor, what was it?" <em> Seriously Rose! </em></p><p>While Rose was talking, Lyla was frantically searching the Doctors pockets for the sonic screwdriver. <em> Where is it! Come on. You stupid alien, with your bigger on the inside pockets! </em> When Lyla's fingers found purchase, she pulled it out suddenly and turned it over in her hand while moving the dials trying to make it look like she was just figuring out how it worked but, in her head, she was pleading with the sonic. <em> Come on, you are a beautiful piece of tech. You're slightly telepathic if the Tardis built you so listen to me. Setting for cutting off the signal. </em></p><p>She thought hard at the device and then pointed it at the plastic arm and pushed the button to hear the comforting buzz of the screwdriver. The arm instantly released and flew at Roses face where it cut off her breathing. The three flailed around before the Doctor took the sonic out of Lyla's hands and used the right setting to disperse the signal. He pressed the tip to the center of the wrist and the arm stopped moving completely. "It's all right, I've stopped it. There you go, you see? Armless." He tossed the arm at Rose who caught it and proceeded to hit the Doctor in the arm.</p><p>"Do you think so?" She replied with a frown.</p><p>The Doctor spun in Lyla and asked with raised eyebrows, "And you! What are you doing playing around with something you know nothing about?" He waved the sonic screwdriver in her face as he asked.</p><p><em> Oh Crap! Think fast. </em> "I saw you use it in the dummies in the store, again on the elevator, the door and just a couple of minutes ago to our heads." With each item she listed, she held up a finger to count each encounter that he had used the sonic in front of the girls. "It stands to reason that it does something. I was just hoping for dumb luck or beginner's luck on it working for me," she defended herself. <em> Have I always been this good of a liar? </em></p><p>The Doctor studied Lyla for a minute before seemingly accepting her reasoning and thought process. He shook his head and turned to make his way to the front door. <em> Well, I guess that could have gone better. </em></p><p>The three made their way outside to the stairs. Rose was complaining the whole way down, "Hold on a minute. You can't just go swanning off."</p><p>"Yes, I can. Here I am. This is me, swanning off. See you two." The Doctor replied over his shoulder.</p><p>"But that arm was moving. It tried to kill me," Rose argued.</p><p>Lyla sighed and quietly added to Rose, "It was trying to kill him first. We just happened to be in the way Rose." <em> Ok, no more smart thoughts and ideas. I already look suspicious. Why the fuck did I have to grab the sonic? Why was that a thing I did? </em></p><p>"Your friends right," he said offhandedly.</p><p>"You can't just walk away. That's not fair. You've got to tell us what's going on." Rose whined.</p><p>"He doesn't." "I don't," both were said at the same time. Doctor spared Lyla a glance over his shoulder as they hit the final flight of stairs down.</p><p>"All right, then. I'll go to the police. I'll tell everyone. You said, if I did that, I'd get people killed. So, your choice. Tell me, or I'll start talking." Rose said as we finally reached the doors leading outside. <em> She's so not tough. </em> Lyla decided just to zone out of the conversation for the moment. She knew what was gonna be said already. She kept pace with the other two, but her mind wandered to future events and adventures that she may get to go on if this all ended right. <em> I wonder what Jack will look like when he's just a head. Will it be like on T.V. or will it be slightly gross to look at a floating head that speaks through telepathy. </em> She paused in her thoughts before she remembered some of her favorite parts of the upcoming adventures. <em> Does the Doctor dance? I'm so gonna find out though! </em>She gave a silent chuckle of mirth before realizing that it was about time to toon back into the other people around her.</p><p>"<em> - </em> the human race and destroy you. Do you believe me?" Lyla got excited because one of her favorite parts of this episode was about to happen right here in front of her. <em> Oh, my fucking god. If he grabs my hand I may swoon. </em></p><p>"Yes," Lyla instantly answered his question and he eyed her with surprise and raised an eyebrow.</p><p>"Thought I lost your attention a while back," he stated, a smile starting to form at the corners of his mouth.</p><p>"I'm always paying attention Doctor," Lyla smiled back at him.</p><p>"No, I don't believe," Rose finally answered the question that was originally posed to just her.</p><p>"But you're still listening," he countered.</p><p>Rose stopped walking, causing Lyla to stop by her side as well, "Really, though, Doctor. Tell me, who are you?" Rose asked again.</p><p>"He's the Doctor." Lyla replied with a shoulder bump to Rose. "And I thought out of the two of us you would be the shoe-in to being the only one to listen to his prattling." The Doctor gave a "Oi", but Lyla continued with a slightly confused face. "Wait, when did you grab the arm? I didn't see that." Rose and the Doctor busted out laughing with Lyla joining in moments later.</p><p>Once everyone was serious again the Doctor turned fully to both paused girls and spoke with a faint smile, "Do you know like we were saying about the Earth revolving?" He walked towards the two girls one smiling and eyes sparkling and the other with a face full of disbelief and skepticism. "It's like when you were a kid. The first time they tell you the world's turning and you just can't quite believe it because everything looks like it's standing still." He paused in his little monologue and grabbed each of the girl's hands before continuing, "I can feel it." And for a split-second Lyla thought she could too. "The turn of the Earth. The ground beneath our feet is spinning at a thousand miles an hour, and the entire planet is hurtling round the sun at sixty-seven thousand miles an hour, and I can feel it. We're falling through space, you and Lyla and me, clinging to the skin of this tiny little world, and if we let go." He dropped their hands and contemplated the two but lingering a bit longer on Lyla. "That's who I am. Now, forget me, Rose Tyler and Lyla. Go home." He walked off toward the blue box.</p><p>"Come on," Rose said while pulling Lyla back and around. They started walking back to the flats when the engines of the Tardis could be heard. Both girls turned quickly and ran back to where they were just to see that the blue box was gone.</p><p>"I think I'm gonna go home. I need a new change of clothes and stuff. Call me if you eat anywhere tonight ok!" Lyla shouted to Rose as they split in different directions. Rose gave the affirmative and waved goodbye.</p><hr/><p>Lyla made her way to her apartment and stopped in on her landlady to tell her that she would be traveling for the next year.</p><p>She knocked on the door and heard shuffling and a faint call of "Coming," through the door. Said door swung open and an elderly woman stepped out and gave Lyla a large kind smile.</p><p>"Lyla Dear. What do I owe the pleasure of seeing you today?" Mrs. Brown asked kindly.</p><p>"I'm just dropping by to tell you that I will be traveling for a while. I don't know for sure how long but no more than a year hopefully. I was just wondering if you could keep a watch over my flat and to make sure that you don't rent it out to anyone else while I'm gone. I know I paid a couple years in advance so rent shouldn't be a problem and all other bills come out of the bank automatically so they should be good as well. I was just stopping by to give you a warning and to get some things as well." She finished her long-winded spill with a smile.</p><p>The Landlady smiled fondly at her best resident and nodded her head, "Of course dearie. Nothing will happen to it and I'll place your mail once a week on your table and make sure everything is still working fine."</p><p>"Oh, you are a lifesaver Mrs. Brown." She bent over and gave the woman a hug. "See you in a couple months then." She waved bye as she walked up the stairs to her third-floor apartment. <em> Well that's done. Now where did I stash that backpack? </em></p><p>She unlocked her door and quickly gathered the few precious belongings that she had acquired over the last 9 months in this universe. She crawled into the back of her closet to grab the bigger on the inside backpack and started shoving things into it. The souped-up laptop, her cellphone, journal, wallet, and psychic paper all found their way back home into the backpack.</p><p>She placed that on the bed before going back into her closet to change out of her two-day old clothes. She came out with an armful of clothes that she wanted to take with her. Lyla folded and stuffed the clothes in the backpack as well. She changed while she was in the closet rooting around for stuff to take with her, Lyla was now wearing more ripped jeans but with a black AC/DC t-shirt and a red plaid button-up top instead. Her boots went back on her freshly sock feet and she turned to the bathroom to mess with her hair. She pulled the curly mass up into a messy bun that didn't exactly fit the trends of her current decade.</p><p>She made her way to the kitchen and started emptying out the fridge of perishable foodstuff. She dragged the trash to the door before she bent down and picked up her three different colored pairs of converses that were next to the front door and placed them in her bag. She looped that around her shoulders and made her way downstairs to take out the trash.</p><p>Once she heaved the overly stuffed trash into the dumpster, her phone started to ring. She dug through her bag and grabbed her phone just to answer without looking at the caller, "Hey."</p><p>"We decided on pizza tonight. The normal place." Rose told her.</p><p>"OK sounds good. See you there." She hung up and made her way back to her apartment to lock everything up.</p><p>Once done, she headed for the pizza parlor. <em> Here I come plastic Mickey. </em></p><hr/><p>At the pizza restaurant, Lyla was staring at Mickey like he was a contagious disease. She was slowly inching her way away from him but closer to Rose in the process. Lyla rubbed the gallifreyan bracelet as she watched the two interact. "Do you think I should try the hospital? Suki said they had jobs going in the canteen. Is that it then, dishing out chips. I could do A Levels. I don't know. It's all Jimmy Stone's fault. I only left school 'cos of him. Look where he ended up. What do you think?" Rose was completely oblivious that her boyfriend is now a plastic person as she talked. <em> Like seriously. Every time he opens his mouth he gets creepier. </em></p><p>But plastic Mickey gave no fucks when changing the subject, "So, where did you meet this Doctor?"</p><p>"I'm sorry, wasn't I talking about me for a second." <em> Go Rose. Give it back to him. If he was human right now I would've said burn. Even if he didn't get the reference. Cause that's classic. </em></p><p>"Because I reckon it started back at the shop, am I right? Was he something to do with that?" Plastic Mickey plowed on. <em> Way to be inconspicuous. Slow clap for that award-winning performance. </em></p><p>"No." Rose stubbornly added but darting her eyes away from her plastic boyfriend.</p><p>Plastic Mickey insisted, "Come on."</p><p>"Sort of," <em> It's like watching a tennis match. Well, if I ever did go to a tennis match. Watching tennis on the Wii is the same thing, Right? </em></p><p>"What was he doing there?" Plastic Mickey insisted.</p><p>"I'm not going on about it, Mickey. Really, I'm not, because, I know it sounds daft, but I don't think it's safe. I think he's dangerous." <em> Completely wrong and completely right. What a fucking contradiction the Doctor is. Huh, just noticed that. </em></p><p><em> " </em> But you can trust me, sweetheart. Babe, sugar, babe, sugar. You can tell me anything." Plastic Mickey reached out and grabbed Rose by the hand and arm. "Tell me about the Doctor and what he's planning, and I can help you, Rose. Because that's all I really want to do, sweetheart, babe, babe, sugar, sweetheart," his stuttering getting worse. <em> And the creep factor just skyrocketed up to 10,000. </em></p><p>"What're you doing that for?" Rose questioned. <em> Finally, you get a fucking clue. Just took creep-olla being extra creepy. 10 would have called you Mrs. Thickity Thick from Thickville Thickvana. </em></p><p>"Your champagne." Lyla blinked up at the voice and the Doctor threw her a wink when Plastic Mickey answered Rose with yet another question.</p><p>"We didn't order any champagne. Where's the Doctor?" He demanded of Rose.</p><p>"Madam, your champagne." The Doctor tried again. Lyla gave a quiet laugh while discreetly pulling away from the table for a quick getaway.</p><p>"It's not ours. Mickey, what is it? What's wrong?" Rose reached across the table to grab Plastic Mickey's hand that was around her other one. <em> That should have been a DEAD giveaway Rose. He's all hard and cold and shiny and PLASTIC. This obliviousness is starting to be on the level of the Doctor. Rose, you should be ashamed. </em></p><p><em> " </em> I need to find out how much you know, so where is he?" Mickey tried again. <em> Well give the plastic a medal. At least he's persistent. The 1st place prize and medal goes to Plastic RICKEY for great determination and horrible observant skills. </em></p><p><em> " </em>Doesn't anybody want this champagne?" The Doctor asked for a third time.</p><p>"Look, we didn't order it," Plastic Mickey finally looked up at the Doctor, "Ah. Gotcha."</p><p>The Doctor started to shake the bubbly, "Don't mind me. I'm just toasting the happy couple. On the house!" He pulled the wire and the cork soared into the forehead of Plastic Mickey.</p><p>The fake Mickey started to move his jaw and mouth around before he spat out the cork onto the table. Lyla was already up and out of her seat and next to the fire alarm that she scoped out before she sat down. Plastic Mickey glared back at the Doctor, "Anyway." Plastic Mickey stood instantly sending his chair toppling and turned his hand into a paddle.</p><p>"Oh, that's just kinky Plastic Mickey." Lyla said loud enough that the Doctor and Rose heard her.</p><p>Rose got up and rushed to Lyla's side while the Doctor grabbed Plastic Mickey in a headlock and started to pull. Once the head gave away with a sickening pop, the head said snidely, "Don't think that's going to stop me." A man, from the couple sitting in a booth close by, gave a shrill scream causing Rose to slam her hand against the fire alarm as the Plastic body started doing some destruction to the surrounding tables. <em> I'm not a willing audience for the Plastic Mickey Destruction Derby tonight. </em></p><p>"Everyone out! Out now! Get out! Get out! Get out!" Rose shouted to the occupants.</p><p>The Doctor tossed the head at Lyla, who caught it with a disgusted noise, and grabbed both girl's hands and made his way through the kitchen and out the backdoor where he locked it with the screwdriver. Rose ran to the other door in the alley way, "Open the gate! Use that tube thing. Come on!"</p><p>Lyla, still holding the Doctor's hand and the head, gazed up at him and over at the blue box. "Nah, tell you what, let's go in here." He pulled Lyla along with him into the box.</p><p>He dropped Lyla's hand and took back the head and made his way to the console to hook up Plastic Mickey. Lyla's eyes grew big and filled with tears as she regarded the room. "It's beautiful," she whispered. She went up to a piece of the coral and lightly stroked a bit of it. <em> I'm here. After 9 months and buckets of tears. I'm finally here. </em>She completely ignored Rose when she came barreling in and rushing back out and back in again. Lyla just had a soft smile on her face as she gapped with awe, happiness, and an endless supply of excitement. What she didn't see was the Doctor watching her out of the corner of his eye.</p><p>"It's going to follow us!" Rose shouted as she rushed back in.</p><p>"The assembled hordes of Genghis Khan couldn't get through that door, and believe me, they've tried. Now, shut up a minute." <em> Rude and not Ginger. </em>He finished hooking up the head, "You see, the arm was too simple, but the head's perfect. I can use it to trace the signal back to the original source. Right. Where do you want to start?" He finally turned back to the girls. He gave Lyla a curious look but focused on Rose for the moment.</p><p>"How do you get the outside around the inside?" Lyla asked with a curious air as she made her way slowly up to the console.</p><p>"That's a bit technical for you." He replied with a wide smile.</p><p>"Er, the inside's bigger than the outside?" Rose finally stammered out.</p><p>"Yes"</p><p>"It's Alien"</p><p>"Yes"</p><p>"Cool," Lyla said, always the one for weird reactions.</p><p>"Are you alien?"</p><p>"Yes, Is that alright."</p><p>"So, alright." Lyla said faintly.</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"It's called the Tardis, this thing. T-A-R-D-I-S. That's Time And Relative Dimension In Space." The Doctor said in a lecturing tone. <em> Always one to teach. </em>After hearing that Rose burst into tears and Lyla rushed to her side for comfort. "That's okay. Culture shock. Happens to the best of us."</p><p>"It's not culture shock. You just pulled off her boyfriend's head." Lyla said disapprovingly at the leather clad alien. <em> Dense. Gonna have to teach him manners. Again, I say rude and not ginger. </em></p><p>"Did they kill him? Mickey? Did they kill Mickey? Is he dead?" Rose finally asked after she got the bulk of her tears under control.</p><p>Lyla was quick to answer with a quick warning glance to the Doctor, "Of course not. They have to keep him to make more, Right?" With the last word, she peered up at the Doctor for confirmation. <em> Play the part. I should get nominated for an award or something. </em></p><p>Before he could answer Rose was already starting in, "He's my boyfriend. You pulled off his head. They copied him and you didn't even think? And now you're just going to let him melt?"</p><p>"Melt?" He whipped around and looked at the head that was indeed melting into the console. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no!" He started running around the console pushing and flicking buttons to hopefully get the Tardis moving. <em> I hope it's not as bumpy as the last time I was here. I wish I would have gotten the time to take a closer look then. But you know things happened. All the things. I guess being kidnapped does that to you. Fixes your priorities and all. </em></p><p>"What're you doing?" Rose asked.</p><p>"Following the signal. It's fading." He paused at the monitor for a second, "Wait a minute, I've got it." He shook his head and ran around the console again, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" He came back to the monitor, "Almost there. Almost there. Here we go!" The Tardis made its wheezing sound and rumbled and shook but nothing like the last time Lyla was aboard the Tardis.</p><p>Once the ship landed, he raced for the door while Rose scolded "You can't go out there. It's not safe," but followed soon after him.</p><p>Lyla stayed where she was trying to wrap her mind around that she was indeed in the Tardis again and with the right alien this time. She stroked a part of the console again and felt a humming and warmth in the back of her head. She gazed down at the bracelets that adorned her wrists since the day she got here and saw that both were glowing a soft gold color. <em> What the what! </em> She panicked slightly until she felt another warmth pass over her and she calmed again. She spoke softly to the time rotor, "Will you explain these bracelets to your best ability Sexy? Please?" A confirmation hummed an echo through her head. She started making her way to the hallway and sat her backpack, that the Tardis originally supplied her with, into the corner. With that she made her way back up to the console and headed for the doors. She sent out one last thought and stroke before she left the ship, <em> can you hide that bit of hallway until I get back? Thank you, Sexy. And it's good to see you in a better condition. And thanks for the stuff it was very thoughtful. </em></p><p>"Anti-plastic." Lyla heard Rose comment. <em> Ah yass, we're getting to another one of my favorite parts. </em></p><p>"Anti-plastic. But first I've got to find it. How can you hide something that big in a city this small?" The Doctor contemplated.</p><p>"Wait, what does what look like?" Lyla asked the Doctor as he walked toward the railing.</p><p>"Oi, and where have you been and where is your backpack?" He asked ignoring Lyla's question all together.</p><p>"On the Tardis. Where else would I be?" She said with a raised eyebrow and ignoring the backpack question for now.</p><p>He shook his head a bit and answered the original question Lyla asked, "The transmitter. The Consciousness is controlling every single piece of plastic, so it needs a transmitter to boost the signal."</p><p>"And what does that look like," Rose asked.</p><p>"Like a transmitter," he stated obviously.</p><p>"Oh, that's helpful, Thanks." Lyla sarcastically added. <em> Daft. Old. Alien. And if he calls me a stupid ape, I'm gonna neuter him. </em></p><p>But the Doctor powered on, "Round and massive, slap bang in the middle of London. A huge circular metal structure like a dish, like a wheel. Radial. Close to where we're standing. Must be completely invisible."</p><p>Lyla turned and shared a look with Rose, "I got this." She walked up to the leather clad alien and took his face in-between her hands. She smooched his checks so he couldn't say anything and turned his whole body around. He was just staring at her with eyes full of shock and disbelief. She released his face and nudged his head up until he was looking at the London Eye. "Or completely obvious, you daft old alien."</p><p>He stared for a second before looking back down at Lyla with a big cheesy grin plastered all over his face. "Fantastic." <em> Swoon. </em> He grabbed Lyla's hand and Lyla snagged Rose's while they run to get closer to the Eye.</p><p>"Think of it, plastic all over the world, every artificial thing waiting to come alive. The shop window dummies, the phones, the wires, the cables…"</p><p>"The breast implants," Rose said with a straight face and Lyla laughed at the mental image that sprung forth. <em> Seriously Kim Kardashian would be totally taken over. </em></p><p>The Doctor continued over the laughter of the two girls, "Still, we've found the transmitter. The Consciousness must be somewhere underneath."</p><p>Rose and Lyla split apart to look over various railings. It was a few minutes before Rose called out to the other two, "What about down here?" They rushed to her side to see what she had found.</p><p>The Doctor studied it for a second, "Looks good to me," he confirmed.</p><p>They climbed down the manhole and into a red lit space full of stairs, platforms, and chains hanging from the ceiling and off stair railings. <em> I could get lost in here. Very, very easily. Best not to wonder. </em>The Doctor quietly spoke to them about what they saw in the middle of the space, "The Nestene Consciousness. That's it, inside the vat. A living plastic creature."</p><p>"It kinda just looks like lava…" Lyla stated off- handedly. <em> Class A Observation Lyla! You Ditz. You deserved to be called a stupid ape after that observation. </em></p><p>"Well, then. Tip in your anti-plastic and let's go." Rose whispered.</p><p>"We can't just kill it." Lyla protested. <em> Right time to focus! The game changer would be to save all the lives but to do that I need to be fast when saving the Doctor. So, no mucking about and watching stuff unfold for once. Be proactive Lyla! </em></p><p>"She's right. We need to give it a chance." The Doctor whispered back before standing tall and walking toward the railing overlooking the vat. "I seek audience with the Nestene Consciousness under peaceful contract according to convention 15 of the Shadow Proclamation."</p><p>The vat of melted red plastic flexed and growled.</p><p>"Thank you. If I might have permission to approach?" The Doctor asked the Consciousness.</p><p>Rose perused the space carefully and spotted Mickey huddled against the railing. She rushed off to him, "Oh, God! Mickey, it's me! It's okay. It's alright."</p><p>Mickey, scared out of his mind, stuttered when he replied, "Tha-that thing down there, th-the liquid. Rose, it can talk."</p><p>Rose and Lyla, who followed her down the steps knowing that they would cave in sometime soon, got a big whiff of Mickey, "You're stinking. Doctor, they kept him alive."</p><p>"Yeah, that was always a possibility. Keep him alive to maintain the copy." The Doctor said as he walked down the stairs to seek the audience with the Nestene Consciousness.</p><p>"I was right!" Lyla fists bumped the air in happiness. <em> Not the time Lyla! Later you can gloat to their faces and say I told you so. Lives to save. Now where was that chain and axe. </em></p><p>"Oi. Can we keep the domestics outside, thank you?" The Doctor threw over his shoulder as he clambered down another flight of stairs.</p><p>Once he reached the platform overlooking the vat, he addressed the liquid, "Am I addressing the Consciousness? Thank you. If I might observe, you infiltrated this civilization by means of warp shunt technology. So, may I suggest, with the greatest respect, that you shunt off?" He finished with a humorless chuckle and smile.</p><p>The liquid formed a face and growled and flexed again. <em> Seriously what bad guy just takes the Doctor's advice. I'll tell you! None. Cause they all think they are right and just. How does that saying go? The end doesn't justify the means. </em></p><p>"Oh, don't give me that. It's an invasion, plain and simple. Don't talk about constitutional rights." The Consciousness tried to interrupt the Doctor, but he had enough, "I am talking! This planet is just starting. These stupid little people have only just learnt how to walk, but they're capable of so much more. I'm asking you on their behalf. Please, just go." <em> That kinda reminds me of 10. With the whole Lion King debacle. </em></p><p>Rose and Lyla both saw the advancing Dummies at the same time and shouted to get the Doctors attention, "Doctor!" but they were too slow. <em> Mother plucking popsicles. How did I forget that? Cause I'm too busy watching actions unfold when I should be trying to change the events. </em></p><p>The dummies grabbed the Doctor and put him in a hold that he was struggling to break free from. The other Living Plastic searched his pockets and pulled out the anti-plastic and the face in the vat screamed in outrage. "That was just insurance. I wasn't going to use it. I was not attacking you. I'm here to help. I'm not your enemy. I swear, I'm not." The liquid growled some more and thrashed about in its vat. "What do you mean?" A door slides away to reveal the Tardis that had a spotlight placed on it. "No. Oh, no. Honestly, no. Yes, that's my ship." The thing growled and was starting to get more aggressive. "That's not true. I should know, I was there. I fought in the war. It wasn't my fault. I couldn't save your world! I couldn't save any of them!" The Doctor cried out as the Consciousness started to thrash about and scream its outrage to everyone listening.</p><p>"What's it doing." Rose asked fearfully.</p><p>"It's the Tardis. The Nestene's identified its superior technology. It's terrified. It's going to the final phase. It's starting the invasion!" The Doctor warned the girls. "Get out, Rose! Lyla! Just leg it now!" he said desperately.</p><p>Rose stepped back and pulled out her phone and called her mother. "Do you think now is a good time for that… the worlds about to end." Lyla said with an air of boredom as she looked around for something specific and ignored the phone conversation.<em> Now where was that chain and axe. </em> The Consciousness started throwing around energy bolts and some of the stairs started to collapse around them. <em> Ah! Yes! Found it! </em></p><p>He was still struggling with his two captors as he yelled at the girls, "It's the activation signal. It's transmitting!"</p><p>"It's the end of the world." Rose whimpered.</p><p>"So dramatic!" Lyla yelled where she was standing by an axe and chain. She picked it up and slammed it into the lock keeping the chain in place. She whispered to herself, "I've got no family. No degree. No life beyond the present. But you do know what I have got…. A country living childhood. This is just like swinging over a 20-foot creek bed." She took a running leap off the platform and sailed right over and kicked the dummy that was holding the anti-plastic into the vat. When she swung back, she saw that the Doctor threw his other captor off as well and was waiting to catch Lyla as she swung back. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she let go of the chain she was clutching with a white knuckled grip.</p><p>"Now we're in trouble." He commented lightly as they both leaned over the edge to watch the Nestene scream and twist in agony. They hurried up the stairs toward Mickey and Rose. The Doctor opened the door, and everyone fell in. The Doctor got them quickly out of the sewer and was landing in a back alley a street away. <em> I did it! I cut down the time that the activation signal was out. Those dummies shouldn't have gotten far from their original starting places. So, the results should be that a lot less people died. I wonder if I saved Clive? I'll look it up later. More important things like getting on the Tardis as a companion. </em></p><p>Mickey rushed out and was huddled against some trash cans. <em> Useless. </em> Rose was on the phone with her mother again and she smiled and laughed as she hung up. Lyla followed Rose out but stopped a couple feet away from the Tardis doors while the Doctor causally leaned against the side. "Nestene Consciousness," he snapped his fingers together, "Easy!".</p><p>"We would have died if it wasn't for Lyla," Rose pointed out.</p><p>"Yes, we would have. Thank you, Lyla." He gave the brown-haired girl a soft smile and continued while never taking his eyes off Lyla, wanting to see her reaction to his next statement and question. "Right then, I'll be off, unless, er, I don't know, you two could come with me. This box isn't just a London hopper, you know. It goes anywhere in the universe free of charge."</p><p>Lyla blinked a couple of times but peeked back at Rose with pleading eyes. <em> Come on Rose, don't be an idiot. Just say yes the first time. </em></p><p>"You should go Lyla," Rose said quietly as Mickey hugged her legs like a lost child.</p><p>"Don't. He's an alien. He's a thing," Mickey exclaimed.</p><p>"He's not invited. What do you think? You two could stay here, fill your life with work and food and sleep, or you could go anywhere," the Doctor said temptingly.</p><p>Lyla tilted her head and watched the Doctor as he talked and when he was finished, she instantly walked over, "Yes. I'd love that. I'd really love that."</p><p>"Great! That's fantastic." He exclaimed.</p><p>Lyla turned and looked at Rose, "Come with us Rose! It'll be fun and unforgettable. We can see the stars and eat weird food and have great adventures."</p><p>She peeked down at Mickey, who whimpered a little, "Yeah, I can't. I've er, I've got to go and find my mum, and someone's got to look after this stupid lump, but Lyla have fun yeah."</p><p>With that Lyla and the Doctor made their way into the Tardis. She walked up to the Captain's chair and sat down to watch the Doctor start the dematerialization sequence before she spoke up with a smile and raised eyebrow, "So, what exactly can your machine do?"</p><p>He opened his mouth to answer but got a thoughtful expression on his face instead. After a pause he answered, "It's a time machine. Not just a London hopper but anywhere in time and space, we can go."</p><p>"You know I think you forgot to tell Rose that," Lyla commented with a small smile.</p><p>The Doctor looked at her with a tilted head and a massive smile started to crawl across his face. He rushed around the console as Lyla let out a joyous laugh. He rushed towards the doors and moments later he stepped aside for Rose to come running in. <em> He's right, this is going to be Fantastic. </em></p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. End of the World</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>
  <b>End of the World</b>
</h1><p>"Right then. Where do you want to go? Backwards or forwards in time. It's your choice. What's it going to be?" He was tossing a gadget up and down in one hand while he asked the two girls where the next adventure was going to be.</p><p>Rose made it up the ramp and looked over at Lyla, who was lounging back in the Captain's chair. Lyla smiled at Rose mischievously "Forwards." a small laugh escaped her smiling lips when Rose answered with a small shake of the head and roll of the eyes.</p><p>He set down the bouncing gadget, flipped two switches and looked back up to the girls, ready to fulfill the request. "How far?"</p><p>"10,000 years," Lyla got up from the chair and ambled over to the other two occupants.</p><p>He spun a wheel, pulled a lever, and turned a dial. As soon as the last dial was turned the Tardis started to move through the vortex. The occupants held tightly to the console as the ship shook and rumbled toward the future. The Tardis landed and the Doctor turned the dial back to where it was originally. He straightened and gestured toward the Tardis door, "There you go. Step outside those doors, it's the year 12005, the new Roman Empire."</p><p>"You're kidding," fascination written all over Rose's face.</p><p>Lyla looked longingly at the doors, desperately wanting to see what 12,005 held, but she knew that they needed to end up 5 billion years further in the future to stick to timelines. She looked back at the Doctor and saw him looking at her waiting for a response, "You think you're so impressive." Lyla gave him a cheeky grin.</p><p>"I am so impressive," he looked affronted at the wild haired girl.</p><p>"Prove it." She said back with a wink and lowered eyes. <em> No one told me that I can't have fun and mess with him. And by mess…. I mean flirt. Cause he was stupidly cute and all flustered. </em></p><p>A faint tint of red rose up his neck and ears, "Right then, you asked for it. I know exactly where to go." He spun the wheel furiously forward and pumped what looked like a bicycle pump several times and turned the dial once more. "Hold on!" The Tardis flew through the vortex and with a final dial turn and ring of a bell, just to show off, he stood tall and gestured grandly toward the door.</p><p>"Where are we? What's out there?" Rose asked while looking back and forth from the door to the Doctor. Lyla was already moving with a bounce in her step as she hit the door and stepped out into a large open room. <em> God, it's beautiful, </em> she sighed. <em> This architecture. T.V does not give it justice. </em>She walked down the steps and stood before the shutters, waiting to see the wonder behind it.</p><p>Rose was quick to follow Lyla but stopped. Shortly after Rose came the Doctor who walked over toward a control panel. He soniced it and a few beeps later and the shutters over the windows shifted open to give the room a shockingly beautiful view of the earth and sun.</p><p>He stood at Lyla's back and spoke softly to the two women. "You lot," Lyla jumped a bit when the Doctor started talking, not noticing his position had become so close to her. "You spend all your time thinking about dying, like you're going to get killed by eggs or beef or global warming or asteroids." All eyes still gazed upon the earth. "But you never take time to imagine the impossible, that maybe you survive. This is the year 5.5/apple/26. Five billion years in your future, and this is the day," he stopped and looked at his watch for a couple of seconds. Rose looked over at him but Lyla's eyes never left the earth and sun in front of her. <em> I never thought I would be here. Get to see this. </em>The sun gave a flare as he finished with, "This is the day the sun expands. Welcome to the end of the world."</p><p>Lyla gave a bone shuttering sigh as she stared upon the expanding sun. Her mind was far away in a different universe. "Did you know that I wanted to be an astronomer." Lyla said softly. Afraid she would break if she spoke any louder as she gave a little of herself to her new travel partners, "Back when I was little. I would stare at the stars laying on an old trampoline that we had in the back yard. My dad would be lying beside me and he would ask me, 'What do you see up there sweetheart?'' She could hear her dad talking softly as they admired the moon and stars while lying on the trampoline on a cool May summer night. "Being just a kid, I would answer back, 'Just the stars' daddy.' He would laugh and tell me to look at the moon. 'That's the same moon that the dinosaurs watched, the same one that Aztecs and Egyptians saw and worshiped, and the same one that Jesus walked under.'' The sounds of bullfrogs croaking in the creak, a pack of coyotes singing their nightly song, the wind in the trees like dull chimes, and scuttling of tiny paws on dead leaves accompanied her dad's voice as he told her a story. "He'd look over at me and would tell me a story of my great- grandparents. Back when my grandfather was in the war and he left my grandmother back in the states. He'd write to her and tell her to look at the moon and think of him and of everyone else that has walked under its light. And they could share that special moment under the moon's glow, halfway across the world and they would always have the moon as a common theme to get them through the trying times." Lyla finished the tale and turned back to the Doctor and Rose with tears in her eyes. "The stories that the sun and moon could tell after it watched over the earth and it's just going to be whipped out from the sky. Not even the moon to stand witness."</p><p>With a faraway look in his eyes, the Doctor opened his mouth to say something but the computer interrupted, "Shuttles five and six now docking. Guests are reminded that Platform One forbids the use of weapons, teleportation and religion. Earth Death is scheduled for 15:39. Followed by drinks in the Manchester Suite."</p><p>Lyla gave a shake of her head, wiped her eyes, and gave a big sniffle before looking up at the Doctor again, "Let's go see the guest then." She walked off toward the door, not waiting for an answer.</p><hr/><p>The three made their way into the hallway when Rose, who had moved to Lyla's side and was giving silent comfort, asked the Doctor, "So, when it says guests, does that mean people?"</p><p>The question pulled Lyla out of her melancholy mood that reminiscing about a lost universe gave her, "Rose, it's 5 billion years in the future. I really hope that there are aliens besides leather here." She gestured with her head and gave a giggle when she saw his face all screwed up in false annoyance.</p><p>"Lyla's right. All different types will probably be in attendance to this occasion." He said, still looking put out about the leather comment. "And what's wrong with this jacket?" He asked the Texan.</p><p>"Nothing. I like the jacket. It's a very distinctive look," she replied as she watched him mess with a control panel again. She gestured to all of him when she continued, "The whole tough guy, brooding act works for you." She gave a wink and a half smile as she said softly so only he could hear her, "It's very sexy."</p><p>With a snap of his neck in her direction, he stared in open disbelief as one of his companions called him sexy. It's not the first time one has but it was the first time that he felt shy and embarrassed over it. He was saved by Rose continuing their earlier conversation.</p><p>"What are they doing on board this spaceship? What's it all for?" Rose asked confused.</p><p>With a sigh and still a slightly confused look to his brown-haired companion he answered the blonde one, "It's not really a spaceship, more like an observation deck. The great and the good are gathering to watch the planet burn."</p><p>"What for?" Rose asked, wanting clarification.</p><p>"Fun." The Doctor finally got the door open and they made their way into the main observation room. "Mind you, when I said the great and the good, what I mean is, the rich."</p><p>"Of course." Lyla grumbled to herself but the Doctor caught it, giving her a look of contemplation. Lyla, being the ever-curious cat, looked around at several of the display cases and itched to explore on her own without having to worry about plot and not wanting to miss anything important. <em> Later. I can look later. At least I get to see Jack, </em>with that thought her spirits lifted considerably.</p><p>Rose, struggling to keep up physically, asked in a curious tone, "But, hold on. They did this once on <em> Newsround </em> Extra. The sun is expanding, that takes hundreds of years."</p><p>"Millions, but the planet's now property of the National Trust. They've been keeping it preserved." All three made it to another window, while he pointed to something out the window and explained, "See down there? Gravity satellites holding back the sun."</p><p>"The planet looks the same as ever. I thought the continents shifted and things."</p><p>"They did, and the Trust shifted them back. That's a classic Earth. But now the money's run out, nature takes over." <em> The real question is why out of the 5 billion years did they pick this continent formation. What's so special about this early earth? Man, that was deep. I need to get that checked. </em></p><p>"How long's it got?" Rose asked with a side glance and a slight upturn of her lips.</p><p>The Doctor looked at his watch again, "About half an hour and then the planet gets roasted." He looked over at Rose with a closed lipped grin.</p><p>"Is that why we're here? I mean, is that what you do? Jump in at the last minute and save the Earth?" Rose questioned.</p><p>"I'm not saving it. Time's up." He popped the 'p' and turned back to the window.</p><p>"But what about the people?" Rose asked with an air of disbelief and worry.</p><p>"It's empty. They're all gone. No one left."</p><p>"Just us, then." Rose said softly while turning from the Doctor and looking back to a classic earth. Lyla came up behind her and grabbed her hand in silent camaraderie even though Lyla knew that there were humans that had expanded out into the universe. <em> We are not alone. God, I'm a dork. </em></p><hr/><p>Rose didn't get long to contemplate their aloneness before a rude voice sounded through the room and came behind the three, "Who the hell are you?"</p><p>"Oh, that's nice. Thanks." The doctor said with a patronizing smile toward the blue man.</p><p>"But how did you get in? This is a maximum hospitality zone. The guests have disembarked. They're on their way any second now." Lyla looked at the blue man, a flash of sorrow and deep sadness overtook her face and thoughts, <em> I'm so sorry that I can't save you. But your death causes the Doctor to find out about the nature of the spiders. I'm so sorry. </em> She pulled herself together and looked down at her hands, hands that were rubbing the wolf etched bracelet that adorned her wrist. Like always, when she was nervous, she found herself playing with the delicate metal. She noticed that there was a warmth that radiated from the wolf bracelet. Once she focused on the heat and gave a curious lifted brow at the thing, it started to cool down to its normally cool temperature. She continued to look at her hands and dismissing the bracelet for now, she tried to calm her anxious nerves, and to stop the obvious pain and sorrow that was written on her face. <em> Oh, sweet Mary, this just became all too real. </em></p><p>"That's me. I'm a guest. Look, I've got an invitation." The Doctor pulled out the psychic paper and showed it to the Steward. "Look. There, you see? It's fine, you see? The Doctor plus two. I'm the Doctor, this is Rose Tyler and Lyla. They're my plus two. Is that all right?" He finished with a large grin.</p><p>"Well, obviously. Apologies, et cetera. If you're on board, we'd better start. Enjoy." He replied still in an annoyed voice. He walked over to a clear glass lectern.</p><p>The Doctor showed the paper that he used for the invitation, toward the two girls and lowered his voice as he explains, "The paper's slightly psychic. It shows them whatever I want them to see. Saves a lot of time."</p><p>Lyla gave the paper a quick scan before looking back down and away from his eyes, "That paper's blank." She said off handedly, still lost in her morose thoughts about the fate of the steward and how everything got too real for her to handle at the moment. <em> OK, suck it up sweetheart. Compose yourself. Conceal, don't feel. Freak out later in private. </em>She blew out a breath to calm her nervousness. She almost missed the Doctor replying as she was so lost in her own thoughts.</p><p>"Well, that's brilliant," he studied her with a critical eye. He noticed her mood and how it had turned an about-face from fascinated curiosity to deep sadness as her eyes refused to meet his.</p><p>"He's blue." Rose said mystified. <em> Well spotted Blondie. </em>The comment pulled Lyla out of her mood, if only marginally, and finally gave herself a mental shake.</p><p>"Yeah." The Doctor replied, a huge grin returning to his face as he looked away from Lyla and toward Rose.</p><p>"We have in attendance the Doctor, Rose Tyler, and Lyla. Thank you. All staff to their positions." He gave three small claps and small blue people started shuffling around the room preparing for the other guests. "Hurry, now, thank you. Quick as we can. Come along, come along. And now, might I introduce the next honored guest? Representing the Forest of Cheam, we have trees, namely, Jabe, Lute and Coffa." The guests that walked through were humanoid versions of trees, one female and two male trees. The male trees were following Jabe. Their bark was a rich dark brown color with woody vines all along their bodies in swirling designs.</p><p>"There will be an exchange of gifts representing peace. If you could keep the room circulating, thank you." The Steward reminded, then continued announcing the incoming guests, "Next, from the solicitors Jolco and Jolco, we have the Moxx of Balhoon." A little fat blue man on a type of hoverboard seat floated in next.</p><p>"And next, from Financial Family Seven, we have the Adherents of the Repeated Meme." The droids walked in covered in black robes that had accents of gold around the hood and sleeves.</p><p>"The inventors of Hypo-slip Travel Systems, the brothers Hop Pyleen. Thank you." Fur lined hoods adorn reptilian-like aliens walked in next.</p><p>"Cal Spark Plug." Two hood covered machine looking beings were next.</p><p>"Mister and Mrs. Pakoo." Bird-like aliens stepped through the door.</p><p>"The Ambassadors from the City State of Binding Light." A flesh colored, wrinkled faced alien glided through.</p><p>Lyla got cut off from watching the guest being introduced when the Trees stepped before the time travelers. "The Gift of Peace. I bring you a cutting of my Grandfather." The Doctor took the cutting but handed it off to Rose quickly. She took the cutting with a stupefied expression as she stared at her first non-looking alien.</p><p>"Thank you. Yes, gifts." He patted down his pockets fruitlessly. Lyla saw his brain turning for what to give as a gift.</p><p>Lyla saved the day when she pulled out a slightly smashed pack of gum from her back pocket. "A stick of <em> Big Red </em> . It's gum. You chew it to give your mouth something to do other than talk uselessly." She casted a bemused look at the Doctor. "Be careful, it's a little spicy if you're not used to it." <em> Thank the lords that I remembered to buy a new pack before I left earth. </em></p><p>"Thank you." Jabe said, a little confused at the gift but taking it nonetheless.</p><p>"You and that god-awful gum." Rose said mockingly and a roll of the eyes.</p><p>"Please, I just saved this one from making a fool of himself." Lyla said playfully and with a shoulder bump against the Doctor.</p><p>"Oi!" The Doctor exclaimed at the playful insult. <em> Get over it big ears. </em></p><p>"From the Silver Devastation, the sponsor of the main event, please welcome the Face of Boe," the steward continued his announcements of each new guest. The Face of Boe was just that. A head floating in a liquid type substance. <em> Jack! I'm so fucking excited to talk to you. </em></p><p>Lyla's attention was diverted from Jack and back toward the Doctor as he introduced the next guest to Rose and Lyla. "The Moxx of Balhoon." Lyla stepped to the side behind the Doctor, pretending to take something from Rose to not raise suspicion of moving out of the way. <em> I am not getting any bodily fluid in the face. Not today dude. </em></p><p>"My felicitations on this historical happenstance. I give you the gift of bodily saliva." He spat directly in Rose's eye. She flinched back and wiped her eyes with an 'eww' face. <em> Dudes got pinpoint aim! </em>Lyla moved back to her original spot beside the Doctor.</p><p>The Doctor gave a smile and chuckled at Rose before he turned back toward the Moxx of Balhoon. "Thank you very much." He handed over a stick of gum that Lyla dutifully handed him as he explained what it was before Moxx moved on.</p><p>"Ah! The Adherents of the Repeated Meme. I bring you a stick of gum." He handed over the stick of gum.</p><p>He was quickly cut off from the Adherents when they thrust out one of their metal claw-like things that held a metal sphere. "A gift of peace in all good faith." The Doctor took the ball, tossing it up and down before handing it to Lyla. She took the sphere carefully and slowly examined the outside before shaking it like a present on Christmas morning. <em> Don't hold on to the creepy spider things for too long. Can't do anything about them without raising some eyebrows. </em></p><p>She then handed it over to Rose so she could look as well. As she was handing it over Rose was giving her a funny look, "What? You never did that on Christmas." At the blank look Rose gave her, she continued, "Don't judge me." Lyla stuck out her tongue at the blonde girl as her attention was caught again by the steward announcing the last guest of the day.</p><p>"And last but not least, our very special guest. Ladies and gentlemen, and trees and multiforms, consider the Earth below. In memory of this dying world, we call forth the last Human. The Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta Seventeen." The doors opened to reveal skin stretched tight and clamped between two poles. She was followed by men dressed in white and carrying spray nozzles attached to a canister. <em> It would be so easy just to tell everyone that she is about to cause but I can't prove it. And the Doctor…. Oh, he would be… Well I don't know how he would act. But none of the reactions would be good or pleasant. </em>A wave of different emotions crashed into Lyla as she laid eyes on the skin. Rage, because of the situation that Cassandra puts everyone in and all for money. Remorse, because she could do nothing to stop it but let it play out and hope to save a few people along the way. Uneasiness, because what would the Doctor think about her playing god with situations that could become so easily disastrous and so quickly.</p><p>"Oh, now, don't stare. I know, I know it's shocking, isn't it? I've had my chin completely taken away and look at the difference. Look how thin I am. Thin and dainty. I don't look a day over two thousand. Moisturize me. Moisturize me." The boys each sprayed her down with the stuff in the canisters. "Truly, I am the last Human. My father was a Texan, my mother was from the Arctic Desert. They were born on the Earth and were the last to be buried in its soil. I have come to honor them and say goodbye. Oh, no tears, no tears. I'm sorry." One of the boys patted her eyes with a tissue before she went on, "But behold, I bring gifts. From Earth itself, the last remaining ostrich egg. Legend says it had a wingspan of fifty feet and blew fire from its nostrils. Or was that my third husband? Oh, no. Oh, don't laugh. I'll get laughter lines. And here, another rarity," Rose began to walk around her while Lyla and the Doctor watched. She walked fully around the talking skin and was staring in shock at the flatness and obscenity that was calling herself the last human. <em> She's more gross in person then what she looked like on T.V. </em>"According to the archives, this was called an iPod." An old-fashioned jukebox was carted in and placed on display for the guests. "It stores classical music from humanity's greatest composers. Play on!"</p><p><em> Tainted Love </em>started to play over the jukebox. The steward announced, "Refreshments will now be served. Earth Death in thirty minutes."</p><p>The Doctor shared a big goofy smile with Lyla before he started bobbing his head in time to the beat. <em> God, he is a huge ass dork. It's insanely cute. </em> Lyla gave a loud laugh but stopped quickly when she saw that Rose had bolted from the room and into the hallway. The Doctor grabbed Lyla's hand to drag her along but she stopped him with a quick tug of the hand to pull him to a stop, "Go talk to her. I'm Fine." He gave her a look like he didn't believe her. "Promise. I'm just gonna mingle and talk to the sponsor of the event," She pointed off toward Boe. She gave the Doctor a smile and a wink before she pushed him gently toward the door, "Go. I got this. I won't freak." <em> Well I may swoon cause JACK. But he's a head right now so that's a little gross. But still JACK. </em></p><p>"Alright. Alright. Don't get pushy."</p><p>He went after Rose as Lyla made her way to Boe. "Hello Jack. You look good for your age."</p><p>His head gave a small bobble and a hearty laugh could be heard in her head. <b> <em>Hello little goddess. I haven't been called that in a very long time Nox. How's the adventures going?</em> </b></p><p>"Well this is technically the first. So, it's going well so far." She paused and looked down at her feet before she continued softly, "I'm scared. What if I can't save everyone I set out to save. What if there is someone that I could've saved but didn't because it would have been too hard or caused suspicion for me. What if I fail to right the wrong that was done. What if he abandons me." She trailed off with tears in her eyes.</p><p>Jack tsked, <b> <em>Nox, you'll be fine. Want to know how I know. There's three reasons. One, I'm taking cold showers the whole time I'm here. </em> </b> <em> Well at least I saved Ruffalo. </em> <b> <em> Two, I know you and I know what you will do. Everything will be fine. Especially when you find out about those bracelets you keep fiddling with. And three, I'm here. That means the event you fear happened.</em> </b></p><p><em> And there goes the mood. </em>"I'm so sorry Jack. All those years. All that pain." Lyla quietly spoke while she continued to look down at her feet in devastating sadness for what she will put Jack through.</p><p>
  <b> <em>Stop apologizing little goddess. My life was long and overall, happy. Yes, there were rough patches and bad times but overall it was beautiful. I saw things, met people, and stopped the universe from ending several times. Those things forever changed me, for the better. You let me experience that.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b> <em>Now suck it up buttercup and go explore the stars.</em> </b>
</p><p>She gave a watery laugh and nodded her head. "Okay. I already love you Jack. I can't wait to meet you for the first time." <em> I really can't. Nothing good can come from two Americans getting together. </em></p><p>
  <b> <em>I love you too Lyla. Till next time.</em> </b>
</p><p>Lyla smiled and walked backward still facing Jack when she replied with a cheeky smile, "See you in 23 years Boe." She turned around with Jacks' laughter echoing in her head and a small bittersweet smile on her face.</p><hr/><p>Lyla made her way from the viewing room trying to find where Rose and the Doctor scampered off to, when the computer announces, "Earth Death in twenty-five minutes."</p><p>Lyla was wandering down a hallway when she heard escalated voices from a room up ahead. <em> Bet you 100 bucks I know who that is. </em> She slowly and silently stepped through the door and leaned against the wall beside it as she watched the scene unfold. She saw the two sitting on the ledge with the stairs in between them and she witnessed the agitation flare between them as Rose continued her hard-pressed questions.</p><p>"Tell me who you are!" Rose half yelled at the Doctor as she tried to get answers. <em> Yeah. No, that's something that I am not going to watch happen. </em></p><p>Lyla interjected into the conversation with a hard voice aimed at Rose, "That's enough." They both spun around to stare at her. She pointed at the Doctor as she continued, "That's the Doctor and that's all you need to know right now. Plus, now isn't the time. So, drop it."</p><p>Rose was the first to say something as the shock wore off and was replaced with righteous anger, "And who or what are you? Cause the way you react to all of this is not normal." <em> Well, that's because I know what to expect. I have a huge learning curve blondie. </em></p><p>"I'm just a human Rose. Just like you. Maybe a little more open-minded at the moment. But just a human," Lyla answered with a sigh. She pushed off the wall and walked toward the two.</p><p>"Did you know his machine is in our head?" Rose accused.</p><p>"No, but does it matter?" Lyla answered, taking a seat on the stairs in between the two.</p><p>"Yes! Cause it's in our head and he didn't even ask." Rose nearly came out of her seat as she complained.</p><p>"Rose, it's probably something that he doesn't think about or it's something that he can't fully control. But that's no reason for you to jump his case so rudely." Lyla admonished the blonde.</p><p>The computer came back on over the P.A. system, "Earth Death in twenty minutes. Earth Death in twenty minutes."</p><p>"Rose, I think you should apologize. We are here, 5 billion years in the future, because of him and his awesome ship. Apologize so you don't upset the easily cranky alien who is the driver." Lyla finished with a smile and an amused look at said alien.</p><p>Chastised, Rose looked everywhere but at the other two occupants of the room. "All right. As my mate Shareen says, don't argue with the designated driver." She took out her phone, "Can't exactly call for a taxi. There's no signal. We're out of range. Just a bit." <em> Well, that's not exactly an apology but I guess that's the British way. Or maybe a Tyler way. </em></p><p>The Doctor gave a small smile at Lyla as he addressed Rose, "Tell you what." He reached across Lyla and snagged the phone from Rose's hand, "With a little bit of jiggery pokery." Lyla blinked rapidly as she got an up close and personal experience with the Doctors chest and smell. <em> It should be illegal to smell that good. Like do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars, straight to jail. </em></p><p>Rose gave a smile as she leaned closer to the two as he fiddled with the back and pulled the battery out. "Is that a technical term, jiggery pokery?" <em> Focus Lyla! It's your favorite part. </em></p><p>"Yeah, I came first in jiggery pokery. What about you?"</p><p>"No, I took hullabaloo." Rose ended with a tongue and teeth grin. Lyla let out a laugh as she watched them pick fun at each other.</p><p>"Oh. There you go." The Doctor handed her phone back to Rose.</p><p>Rose took the phone and immediately moved away from the two seated occupants as she called her mother.</p><p>"Thank you." The Doctor nudged Lyla's shoulder with his own.</p><p>She shrugged and gave him a smile. She held out a pack of gum to him as a silent peace offering. He laughed and took a piece but just fiddled with the wrapping as he looked down at his hands. "It's not that big of a deal, Doctor," she said reassuringly.</p><p>He gave her a wide goofy grin and changed the subject, "How was your talk with the Face of Boe."</p><p>"Oh, it was good. He's ancient and wise so it went about as well as talking to Yoda. It's all in riddles. But overall pretty cool." Lyla said back with a bittersweet smile escaping her as she played back the conversation in her head.</p><p>Confused at her flippant attitude over her first conversation with something that looked like an alien, he asked, "I heard he was a little off putting with the whole talking in your mind ordeal."</p><p>"I think it's more off putting to see a disembodied head floating in a large glass jar like a science experiment gone wrong." She saw his look of disbelief and quickly continued, "Don't get me wrong the whole telepathy thing is slightly weird but overall the disembodied head was even more so."</p><p>"You are a confusing human being Lyla." He seemed to remember something, "What's your full name?"</p><p>Lyla laughed loudly, "Lyla Nox Aylin."</p><p>"Your parents had a thing for the night." He said with a large grin.</p><p>She gave him a lazy smile and asked him a question that she already knew the answer to, "Now, why would you say that?"</p><p>"Well," he stepped into lecturing mode, "The origin of Lyla is Arabic meaning night. Nox is the Roman Goddess of Night and Aylin is Turkish for moon halo or belonging to the moon." He finished with a smile and saw her trying to hold in the obvious laughter and frowned, "But you already knew that."</p><p>"I did," she giggled and tried to choke the noise down when she saw his put-out face. "I wasn't making fun of you, Doctor. I was just curious if your name origin and meanings would have been human to begin with." She could no longer suppress her laughter at the situation. Once under control she saw the Doctor looking at her with a soft smile and shining eyes. "I guess that kinda explains the obsession with all things space and stars. When you asked us to travel with you," she paused and looked him in the eye with a broad grin as she continued, "You had me ‘at universe’." She looked over at the alien with a small almost shy smile, her laughter from earlier only shining in her eyes now.</p><p>Just then Rose walked back over with a shell-shocked appearance. The Doctor looked over and at her with a grin as he said, "Think that's amazing, you'll want to see the bill."</p><p>"That was five billion years ago. So, she's dead now. Five billion years later, my mum's dead." Rose said shocked and trying to wrap her mind around the whole situation.</p><p>"Bundle of laughs, you are," as the Doctor finished talking, the whole observation deck shook. "That's not supposed to happen."</p><hr/><p>The three walked back into the main viewing room. The Doctor started to explain to his two new companions as he fiddled with the sonic and the control panel by the door, "That wasn't a gravity pocket. I know gravity pockets and they don't feel like that." Jabe made her way over to the three interlopers, "What do you think, Jabe? Listen to the engines. They've pitched up about thirty Hertz. That dodgy or what."</p><p>"It's the sound of metal. It doesn't make any sense to me." Jabe answered his question with a shrug.</p><p>He gave a sarcastic smile having thought of something. <em> Some thought that would have made Sherlock proud. Probably about the intelligence of lesser beings that he was surrounded by. </em> It vanished as he asked her, "Where's the engine room?"</p><p>"I don't know, but the maintenance duct is just behind our guest suite, I could show you and your wives." Jabe answered with false wide earnest eyes.</p><p>"They're not my wives." He said with a faint smile. <em> Oh, fuck no. I will not be talked down to or called offensive names. No exceptions. Bitch needs to learn manners. </em></p><p>Knowing the rudeness that was about to happen, Lyla stepped in quickly. Her Texas accent got thicker as she reprimanded the offensive being in front of her, "If the next words out of your mouth are partner, concubine, or prostitute you better swallow them. And quickly. We are his associates, friends, companions, buddies, pals, hell you could've even used the word amigas. We are not his bitches." She finished with a sneer and a cold look. "Now while you go and get some manners, I'm gonna go mingle with the other guests." She looked to the Doctor as she turned her back to the tree, "Find the trouble and see you later." <em> That tree! Ugh. Don't make me regret saving your life. </em> She thought in turmoil after being called something so vile or almost being called something so vile. <em> Maybe it's an American thing but being called a prostitute is asking to be punched. </em></p><p>Rose quickly caught up to Lyla, "That was amazing. And I think I've only seen you get that offended a handful of times."</p><p>"It doesn't happen often but when it does…" She paused as she tried to find the right words, "I go off like a shot. Then everyone sees that I'm the bigger bitch."</p><p>"It was hilarious. You should've seen the Doctor's face when you really laid into the tree."</p><p>"Why? Did I offend his delicateness with my language and tone?" Lyla said sardonically.</p><p>"No. I think you impressed him to tell you the truth. I was even a little impressed even after I learned how you can get." She paused, "And I think that was the least number of curses that I've heard you utter when you bitch someone out." She laughed and gave Lyla a nudge. "So anyway, I'm going to talk to Michael Jackson over there. Wanna join?"</p><p>"Naw, I have no desire to entertain that piece of skin, but don't get in a fight." Lyla shoved her gently in the skin's direction.</p><p>As she turned a circle, the computer came over the intercom again, "Earth Death in fifteen minutes. Earth Death in fifteen minutes." Lyla ignored the computer and decided to look at the artifacts finally.</p><p>As Lyla looked around and got absorbed in the ancient artifacts that have stood the test of time and found themselves watching the earth's last moments like her, she remembered what happened to Rose after she talked to the skin. <em> Aw shit. How could I have forgotten. </em>She turned looking for the other blonde and came up blank. She booked it to the hallway and quickly found the sound of Rose banging on the door.</p><p>"Rose!"</p><p>"Oh, thank God!" she exclaimed. "Let me out!"</p><p>"Oh, I don't know," Lyla rolled her eyes, "I think that I may just leave you in a locked room with the sun filter descending. What do you think I'm trying to do?" Just as Lyla finished her sarcastic retort the Doctor came around the corner.</p><p>He saw Lyla and quickly asked "Anyone in there?" He turned on the sonic and started working on the control panel.</p><p>Before Lyla could answer, Rose was banging on the door again, "LET ME OUT."</p><p>He rolled his eyes, "Oh, well, it would be you."</p><p>"Open the door." Rose demanded.</p><p>"What do you think he's trying to do?! Open a bed and breakfast?" Lyla answered her back as the Doctor continued working on the control panel.</p><p>"OI! I don't need the bitchiness Lyla!"</p><p>"Sorry, I'm sarcastic under pressure."</p><p>They finally heard the computer say that the sun filter was rising. The Doctor let out a breath but Lyla tensed up more and hit the Doctor, "Open the door, numskull, before something else happens."</p><p>Before he could retort, the sun filter started descending again. Rose, panicking now, yelled through the door, "Stop mucking about!"</p><p>He ripped open the control panel and was messing around with the wires, "I'm not mucking about. It's fighting back."</p><p>"Open the door!"</p><p>"He knows Rose! Just run down the steps. Lowest part of the room. Rose, Do it!" Lyla yelled back.</p><p>"The lock's melted!"</p><p>At this the Doctor shoved his sonic into the mess of wires. With some crackling pops, they heard the computer state that the sun filter was rising again. Lyla gave a giant sigh of relief.</p><p>"The whole thing's jammed. I can't open the doors. Stay there! Don't move." The Doctor yelled at Rose as he grabbed Lyla's hand and made his way down the hallway.</p><p>Before they got far, Rose replied to the Doctor's last comment, "Where am I going to go, Ipswich?"</p><hr/><p>As they ran through the hallway, the computer came over the P.A system again, "Earth Death in five minutes."</p><p>They walked into the viewing room and heard Cassandra talking, "How's that possible? Our private rooms are protected by a code wall. Moisturize me, moisturize me."</p><p>The Moxx of Balhoon demanded, "Summon the Steward."</p><p>Jabe answered as the Doctor walked up and took the spider device from her, "I'm afraid the Steward is dead."</p><p>Everyone gasped but the Moxx of Balhoon was the one to ask, "Who killed him?"</p><p>"This whole event was sponsored by the Face of Boe. He invited us. Talk to the Face. Talk to the Face." The Face of Boe shook his head and gave a groan. <em> Really Jack that was pathetic, </em> Lyla thought as she tried to suppress a laugh. <em> For God sakes Lyla, get your shit together. The steward died. No time for giggles. </em></p><p>The Doctor held up the spider for everyone to see as he talked, "Easy way of finding out. Someone bought their little pet on board. Let's send him back to master." He activated the spider and set it down on the ground. The device scuttled over to Cassandra and scanned her but moved on to the Adherents of the Repeated Meme.</p><p>"The Adherents of the Repeated Meme. J'accuse!" Cassandra was quick to accuse.</p><p>"That's all very well, and really kind of obvious, but if you stop and think about it." He walked over to the Adherents. The front droid raised a hand to smite the Doctor, <em> good luck with that dear sir. Better men have tried. And I think the right is reserved for Jackie Tyler. At least in this regeneration. </em> But the leader got caught by said alien as he proceeded to pull the arm off. <em> What's with him and pulling arms off. </em></p><p>"A Repeated Meme is just an idea. And that's all they are, an idea." The Doctor pulled a wire in the arm and all the droids fell to the floor. "Remote controlled Droids. Nice little cover for the real troublemaker. Go on, Jimbo. Go home." He nudged the spider with his foot and it scurried off to stand in front of Cassandra again.</p><p>"I bet you were the school swot and never got kissed. At arms!" The boys on either side of her held up the spray canisters.</p><p>"What are you going to do, moisturize me?" The Doctor said with his hands going up to his chest in a frightened manner.</p><p>Lyla grabbed the back of his jacket as she pulled slightly and whispered where only the Doctor can hear, "And here I thought I was sassy. That was top notch. Give the alien an A for that comeback." She just couldn't help herself with commenting on the line that always made her laugh.</p><p>The Doctor quietly shushed her and focused back on the evil mastermind wanna-be.</p><p>As Lyla was whispering, Cassandra carried on talking, "With acid. Oh, you're too late, anyway. My spiders have control of the mainframe. Oh, you all carried them as gifts, tax free, past every code wall. I'm not just a pretty face."</p><p>"Sabotaging a ship while you're still inside it? How stupid's that?" The Doctor commented the obvious.</p><p>"I'd hoped to manufacture a hostage situation with myself as one of the victims. The compensation would have been enormous," Cassandra said.</p><p>"Five billion years and it still comes down to money," The Doctor observed with a mild tone of disgust.</p><p>"It's always money," Lyla quietly commented, still holding the leather jacket.</p><p>"Do you think it's cheap, looking like this? Flatness costs a fortune. I am the last human, Doctor. Me. Not those freaky little kids of yours," said Cassandra.</p><p>Lyla was glad she had situated herself behind the Doctor as she was shaking with the suppressed need to hit something. Preferably a skin flap named Cassandra.</p><p>"Arrest her, the infidel." The Moxx of Balhoon cried to the room.</p><p>"Oh, shut it, pixie. I've still got my final option." Cassandra said.</p><p>"Earth Death in three minutes." The Computer spoke over the intercom again to remind everyone of the impending danger.</p><p>"And here it comes. You're just as useful dead, all of you. I have shares in your rival companies and they'll triple in price as soon as you're dead. My spiders are primed and ready to destroy the safety systems. How did that old Earth song go? Burn, baby, burn."</p><p>Jabe, stepping into the conversation, said, "Then you'll burn with us."</p><p>"Oh, I'm so sorry. I know the use of teleportation is strictly forbidden, but I'm such a naughty thing. Spiders, activate." Explosions can be heard throughout the space station. "Forcefields gone with the planet about to explode. At least it'll be quick. Just like my fifth husband. Oh, shame on me." Cassandra laughed but continued, "Bye, bye, darlings. Bye, bye, my darlings." Her voice fading as she teleported out of the room.</p><p>"Safety systems failing," said the Computer. "Heat levels rising."</p><p>"Reset the computer." The Moxx of Balhoon shouted, now panicking.</p><p>"Only the Steward would know how." said Jabe.</p><p>"No. We can do it by hand. There must be a system restore switch. Jabe and Lyla, come on. You lot, just chill." The Doctor interjected and grabbed ahold of Lyla's hand and rushed out the door with Jabe hot on their tales.</p><hr/><p>As they made their way down the maintenance tunnel the Computer kept talking over their heads, "Earth Death in two minutes. Earth Death in two minutes. Heat levels are critical. Heat levels Critical."</p><p>They entered the engine room and the Doctor made a noise in the back of his throat, "Oh. And guess where the switch is." He nodded to the other side of the three large circulating fans. He looked around and spotted a control lever for the fan speed and pushed it down. The fans slowed, he released the lever and started walking toward the fans. The lever bounced back to its original position before Lyla quickly took up the mantle of lever holder. The fans slowed once again. The Doctor turned around and gave a sad look back at the tiny human girl but she was staring at Jabe and didn't notice.</p><p>"Get out Jabe. The heat will kill you," said Lyla with a grunt. "Get everyone away from the windows."</p><p>Jabe nodded and spoke to the Doctor, "Don't waste time, Timelord." She took off back down the maintenance duct.</p><p>He turned to Lyla with pleading eyes, but she was already set and a glare was aimed his way, "You heard her. Stop wasting time."</p><p>The heat rose sharply in the room and the metal bar beneath her hands started to heat up to uncomfortable levels. <em> Thank the lord for Texas summers and hot seatbelts. </em>She didn't see the Doctor go past the first fan, too preoccupied with the sweat dripping down her face and slicking her palms.</p><p>She did look up a couple seconds later to see how his progress was moving. She watched as he looked back before facing the second fan. In record time, sweat drenched her shirt but her body had stopped producing the fluid already being close to heat stroke from just the little amount of time that she spent in here. Her hands cramped as her body told her to release the object causing so much pain. She started to smell burning flesh as her hands started to slip and slide on the bar.</p><p>Not able to handle the heat and pain any longer she gave a scream and sagged against the bar. Lyla shouted, over the computers insistent warnings, "Get the lead out of your ass Timelord." He stepped through the second fan, but she released the lever with a pained cry and dropped to her knees cradling her hands.</p><p>The metal bar had heated to such a degree that the skin had started to turn black in places and was oozing blood and clear liquid. She had flayed skin separating from the rest of her hands. <em> Holy crow. That hurts so fucking bad. </em>She didn't realize that she was whimpering, "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. That hurts," repeatedly until the Doctor crouched down and drew her hands toward him.</p><p>"Let me see." He softly said and examined her hands. "I'll fix you up in the Tardis. They will be good as new." He helped her stand and whipped the tears from her checks. He made his way behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders to guide her through the tight maintenance duct. They slowly made their way back toward the Manchester Suite. They had a flap of skin to bake.</p><p>She commented to lighten the mood and take her mind off her destroyed hands, "I feel like I was just baked in an oven." She gave a humorless laugh and didn't say another word for the rest of the trip.</p><hr/><p>When they enter the room, Lyla looked around at the casualties and noticed that there weren't many and the Moxx of Balhoon was still sitting in his chair, Jabe was with her two men over in the corner and Boe was still getting his tank back to a comfortable temperature with the help of the small blue workers. She saw Rose and led the Doctor to her.</p><p>"You two alright?" she asked looking upon the two and seeing Lyla's hands made a beeline to her. Lyla shook her head at her friend and nodded toward the Doctor behind her.</p><p>"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm full of ideas, I'm bristling with them. Idea number one, teleportation through five thousand degrees needs some kind of feed. Idea number two, this feed must be hidden nearby." He walked over to the ostrich egg and slammed it against the pedestal. A metal device fell out, "Idea number three, if you're as clever as me, then a teleportation feed can be reversed." He twisted a noob on the device and Cassandra was teleported back. "The last human."</p><p>"So, you passed my little test. Bravo. This makes you eligible to join, er, the Human Club," she said, fishing for excuses.</p><p>"People have died, Cassandra. You murdered them," the Doctor said with a hard cold look.</p><p>"It depends on your definition of people, and that's enough of a technicality to keep your lawyers dizzy for centuries. Take me to court, then, Doctor, and watch me smile and cry and flutter."</p><p>"And creak?" The Doctor asked.</p><p>"And what?"</p><p>"And creak. You're creaking." Lyla said while she took a step toward the Doctors side and Rose stepped up on his other. "Wanna know what happens to skin when you turn up the heat?" Lyla showed her hands to Cassandra. She heard several gasps throughout the room. <em> Oh come on, I know they look bad but not that bad. </em></p><p>"What? Ah! I'm drying out! Oh, sweet heavens. Moisturize me, moisturize me! Where are my surgeons? My lovely boys! It's too hot!" She screamed.</p><p>"You raised the temperature," the Doctor said back with no emotion.</p><p>"Have pity! Moisturize me! Oh, oh, Doctor. I'm sorry. I'll do anything," Cassandra begged.</p><p>"Help her," Lyla heard Rose whisper to the Doctor.</p><p>The Doctor looked down at Rose and then over at Lyla and watched her as she held her hands in pain, his face hardened further. "Everything has its time, and everything dies," he said back to Rose and placed a hand on Lyla's shoulder.</p><p>Lyla, not wanting to see what was going to happen next, turned her face into the Doctors side. She vaguely heard Cassandra's last words, "I'm too young," The Last Human gave a splat as her skin shrunk and came undone from the clamps. Pieces flew in every direction and it was a miracle that the three stayed so clean through it all.</p><hr/><p>After the downfall of the bad guy, the Doctor pulled Lyla away from the Manchester Suite and made his way toward the med bay on the Tardis.</p><p>Lyla looked around at the med bay. She saw a very white and organized room that would make any OCD person swoon at. Several pieces of machinery hung from the ceiling or was pushed into corners, ready to use at any moment. The Doctor steered her by the shoulders to a fairly normal looking emergency room bed.</p><p>The Doctor helped her up and started prepping her arm for an IV. Once the IV was in and a fluid bag placed on the rack above her head she finally spoke up, "You know this could've waited until we were completely done with the space station." A small shrug accompanied the statement. She watched him riffle through cabinets until he found the item he was looking for.</p><p>He walked back over to her with a funny look on his face that Lyla couldn't place. "Why would I let you suffer in pain when I could easily fix it," he wanted to know with a head tilt.</p><p>She gave him a weary smile, "I have a high pain tolerance. It's really not that bad anymore."</p><p>He looked at her in disbelief, "I've seen a lot of burn wounds and this is probably one of the worst. If you were anywhere else, they would've had to do a skin graft. And you say it's not that bad. You should be crying or groaning in pain at least. But no, you say you could've waited," he said mockingly. "You are something special," he trailed off and finally uncapped the tube of ointment. He squeezed half the tube onto each hand before grabbing a tongue depressor to smear the goop. She watched as it turned a sickish green color.</p><p>Lyla felt the immediate effects and sighed in relief as the cool substance soaked into her hands. "Ok now what." She asked.</p><p>"Now you wait 30 minutes for the burn relief ointment to do its job. No touching anything," he commanded. He looked up at the IV bag and noticed that it was almost drained, he took out the IV and placed a band-aid over the small puncture wound.</p><p>Lyla, super curious about what was in the IV, voiced her question, "What did you just pump into my system and how did it happen so fast."</p><p>"It's a cocktail of different substances for dehydration," he answered as he helped her down from the bed with an arm under her legs and the other behind her back in a traditional bridal hold.</p><p>Once off the bed, he sat her feet down on the floor and took up position at her back again, steering her out of the med bay and back to the observation deck to gather their third companion.</p><hr/><p>Lyla stopped short just inside the entrance of the Manchester Suite when they found the wayward blonde, she nudged the Doctor closer toward Rose with an elbow. He gave her a look and she was quick to promise not to touch anything as she waited for the two.</p><p>The Doctor walked up behind Rose and a few minutes went by before the Doctor offered her his hand as he pulled her toward Lyla.</p><p>When Rose saw Lyla, she asked quickly, "How's the hands and how did they get like that to begin with?"</p><p>Lyla began walking back toward the Tardis as she told a shorter version of events, "Well holding a metal bar when the temperature gets up into the cake baking range is not a wise move but so was, you know, dying… lesser of two evils I guess." Lyla lifted her hands and showed them to Rose. The greenish ointment was slowly turning into a sickly yellow. "Well, I saw my Doctor and he smeared this stuff on them and pumped me full of some special concoction, then told me that I was not to touch anything. He was quite demanding." Lyla said with a smile toward the Doctor who was fighting a grin.</p><p>"I see what I get for Doctoring you up."</p><p>"Oh, sweetheart you can Doctor me up anytime." Lyla's accent got thicker as she teased the Doctor. She threw a wink his way and giggled when she saw slight redness come over his cheeks and tops of his ears.</p><p>"Oi. You two, stop flirting and show me what you were going to show me Doctor."</p><p>They reached the Tardis and were quick to leave Platform One. When they landed again, the Doctor ushered them out into modern day London.</p><p>"You think it'll last forever, people and cars and concrete, but it won't. One day it's all gone. Even the sky. My planet's gone. It's dead. It burned like the Earth. It's just rocks and dust before its time." The Doctor said sadly as he looked off into the distance.</p><p>"What happened?" Rose asked.</p><p>"There was a war and we lost." The Doctor turned slowly toward them and regarded the two women.</p><p>"A war with who," When she realized that he wasn't going to answer, Rose cleared her throat roughly before she asked another question, "What about your people?"</p><p>"I'm a Timelord. I'm the last of the Timelords. They're all gone. I'm the only survivor. I'm left travelling on my own 'cos there's no one else," he said solemnly.</p><p>Lyla wrapped her arm through the Doctors, careful to not touch him directly with her hands, "There's us." She said just loud enough to be heard over the chaos of people and the sounds of life and living.</p><p>"You've seen how dangerous it is. Do you want to go home?" The Doctor asked the two, studying them closely for any hesitation.</p><p>"Hell no," Lyla was quick to answer. Her eyes never left the Doctors when she declared her answer.</p><p>"I don't know. I want. Oh, can you smell chips?" Rose easily distracted. The other two shared a smile and sniffed the air around them.</p><p>"You know, I don't understand why y'all call them chips?" Lyla asked as they investigated the smell.</p><p>"Well-." The Doctor was quickly cut off by Rose as she demanded chips.</p><p>"You can explain over chips and you can pay." Rose said.</p><p>"No money," he replied with a closed lipped grin.</p><p>"What sort of date are you? Come on then, tightwad, chips are on Lyla and me. We've only got five billion years till the shops close," Rose said with a tongue in teeth smile.</p><p>"Ha! Guess what, you guys," Lyla exclaimed a couple seconds later as they investigated the smell of fried goodness.</p><p>They looked over at her in a questioning manner, and Lyla looked at the Doctor barely containing her mirth at the situation and raised her hands for him to see, "You get to feed me fries." She lost the battle of holding in her laughter and barely got out, "Oh, this is gonna be fun!"</p><p>The other two companions joined in with the other girl's laughter.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Interlude</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>
  <b>Interlude</b>
</h1>
<p>The three companions shuffled back into the Tardis after their impromptu lunch of chips. Lyla sighed as she sunk into the captains' chair next to the console. <em> Aww yea, relaxation. </em> "What do you think you're doing? Don't get comfortable." <em> And there went my relaxation. </em>The voice of the Doctor interrupted her resting, "To the med bay with you."</p>
<p>"Okay. Okay I'm getting up," she huffed. So, with a heavy sigh she rocked back to her feet still without the use of her hands and shuffled her feet to the entrance of the hallway. Lyla stopped and looked back to see the Doctor say something that she could not hear. She watched as Rose took a seat on the recently vacated captains chair as the Doctor left her to follow his hurt companion to the med bay.</p>
<p>Lyla turned back around and started the journey down the hallway. She felt the Timelord's hand rest on her shoulders as he steered her through the twist and turned down the hallway. <em> OK, that's gonna take some getting used to. I could have sworn we took a right back there last time. </em> Lyla spoke up after an observation, "Is it just me or has the med bay moved locations."</p>
<p>"It's the Tardis. She moves rooms around for ease to her occupants or just to punish if she is in a mood," the Doctor answered softly.</p>
<p>Lyla laughed lightly, "For some reason I feel like she does that a lot with you. You upset her often Doctor?" <em> You know Doc. You should probably not hit her with a mallet if you want on her good side. </em></p>
<p>"No. I try not to anyway. She sometimes gets her feelings in a twist about some things," he replied as we turned into the med bay.</p>
<p>Lyla took a hop up on the cot and held out her hands to the Doctor, "Well. She is a female Doctor. Of course, she gets her feelings in a twist when a male does something that is not approved of." <em> Wow. Doesn't matter the species it seems. Men will be men. </em> She looked down at her hands to see that the paste had shifted colors again to a bright neon purple and was slightly shiny when turned exactly right in the bright med bay lights.</p>
<p>The Doctor hummed as his answer to her observation of his ship and was gently holding her wrist to get a better look at the Texans' palms. He started to peel the paste from Lyla's wrist to her fingers. As the paste lifted, new pink skin was revealed underneath. Lyla watched in fascination as her new unblemished skin was exposed to the air and lights. <em> What the burn unit at hospitals would give for this. </em></p>
<p>Once both hands were free of the paste, he slowly turned her hands to make sure that all was healed. He slowly stroked a finger down the fresh pink skin causing Lyla to gasp and jerk away slightly. <em> Okay not fair. Why did that have to feel so good? He </em> froze and asked quickly, "Pain?"</p>
<p>"Nope just sensitive," Lyla muttered as she felt her face flush lightly. <em> Gotta change the subject so I don't say something that I can't take back. </em>With a clearing of her throat she asked, "So, are we good. No lasting damage, right?"</p>
<p>The Doctor resumed his light stroking with his thumbs across her palms as he finally looked away from her hands. "Yeah, you're all good. No lasting damage but they will be sensitive for the next hour as the skin and nerves adjust." He searched her face as he asked his next question with a light smile, "Is this going to be a routine thing that you do? End up in my med bay. Because I don't think my hearts can handle it."</p>
<p>"Well, I hope not but you never know," she answered with an upturn to one side of her mouth in a crooked smile. "Wait… Did you say hearts? As in plural."</p>
<p>"Yeah. Two hearts. Me." He replied with a smile.</p>
<p>"Good to know just in case I have to perform CPR on you," she said flippantly.</p>
<p>He looked back down at her hands and finally seemed to notice the tattoos on her arms. "What is this for," he asked curiously as his fingers stroke down the body of the phoenix on her forearm.</p>
<p>"Hmm," <em> Get your mind out of the gutter and answer him. </em>Lyla hummed as she looked down to where his fingers were now resting. "I rise from the ashes. Reborn and stronger after all the struggles. The infinity symbol on the wrist is a mother daughter tattoo. We got it together after the hardest year of our lives. Hers has a heart instead of a cross though."</p>
<p>His eyes flicked down to both arms and just stared with a thoughtful look before he finally dropped both hands and stepped away and back to a cabinet where he pulled out another device to use on Lyla to check her health. Lyla took a deep breath to clear her senses of the Doctor. <em> One more second of him being that close and the stroking, and he was going to find himself with an armful of horny 23-year-old. Control. </em></p>
<p>She made a questioning noise when he approached her. "It's just to check your water and electrolyte levels after the dehydration," he answered the unspoken question.</p>
<p>Once the device beeped its results, she asked, "All good?" <em> Please be all good. </em></p>
<p>"Yep," he stated, popping the 'p' at the end of the word and a widening smile.</p>
<p>Lyla hopped down from the bed and waited for him to put everything away, "So, can we go back to Rose, and you prove that you have a time machine that can go both forward and backwards in time." Her smile widened as the affronted look crossed the Doctor's face.</p>
<p>"Oi. I do have a time machine," He placed one hand to his chest and stepped back from her like she wounded him with her doubts.</p>
<p>"Prove it Timelord," she sassed back with a wicked grin. <em> Right… What control. </em></p>
<p>Before Lyla knew it, she was being dragged back to the console room by the Doctor and his wounded ego. She threw her head back and laughed as she tried to keep pace with the alien.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The Unquiet Dead</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>
  <b>Unquiet Dead</b>
</h1><p>The Tardis bounced around as the girls' fumble with the controls and did what the Doctor shouted over the racket. Rose was holding down one set of buttons when he cried out over the rumbling of the Tardis, "Hold that one down!"</p><p>"I'm holding this one down," Rose yelled back.</p><p>"Well hold them both down!" was his answering reply.</p><p>Rose looked around helplessly when suddenly Lyla's foot dropped down on the button. "You're welcome," the stretched-out girl said.</p><p>Rose looked back toward the Doctor and commented teasingly, "It's not gonna work."</p><p>"Oi! I promised you two a time machine and that's what you're getting. Now, you've seen the future, let's have a look at the past. 1860. How does 1860 sound?" He asked the two. <em> Sounds like you get it wrong. </em></p><p>They looked back at him as Rose said, "What happened in 1860?"</p><p>"I don't know, let's find out," he pulled a lever, "Hold on, here we go."</p><p>Both girls held on tightly to whatever they could get their hands on as the Tardis whirled through the time vortex. With a final wheeze and shudder sending all the occupants to the ground, the Tardis landed. <em> Talk about rough landing. This ship needs seatbelts! </em></p><p>"Blimey," Rose commented amidst all the laughter.</p><p>"Fucking hell that was rough," Lyla said between bouts of laughter. She picked herself up and brushed off her sore, most likely bruised ass. She reached down to offer a hand to Rose, who was still laying on the grates looking dazed.</p><p>"You're telling me. Are you two alright?" The Doctor asked as they picked themselves up.</p><p>"Yeah. I think so. Nothing broken," Rose said as she walked over to where he was looking at a monitor of some sort. "Did we make it? Where are we?"</p><p>"When are we?" Lyla asks curiously as she leaned against the railing watching the two.</p><p>"I did it. Give the man a medal. Earth, Naples, December 24th, 1860," he proclaimed with joy as he turned to look at the other two. <em> Ha maybe a metal of participation. </em></p><p>"It's Christmas," Lyla commented as she finally walked over. <em> I love Christmas! </em></p><p>"Christmas. 1860. Happens once, just once and it's gone, it's finished, it'll never happen again. Except for you," Rose looked over at the Doctor with a look of amazement and envy written on her face. "You can go back and see days that are dead and gone a hundred thousand sunsets ago," she chuckled in wonder, "No wonder you never stay still."</p><p>"What a life," Lyla said with admiration and a smile. <em> Man after my own heart! </em></p><p>"Better with three though," Rose tacked on to the end of Lyla's comment.</p><p>Rose started making her way to the door when the Doctor stopped her, "Hey, where do you think you're going."</p><p>She turned and looked back at the two still standing by the console, "1860," she said with a large jubilant smile.</p><p>"Go out there dressed like that, you'll start a riot, Barbarella," he pointed off down the hallway, "There's a wardrobe through there. First left, second right, third on the left, go straight ahead, under the stairs, past the bins, fifth door on your left. Hurry up!" <em> Like I'm ever gonna remember that. </em></p><p>Rose rushed back to Lyla and grabbed her hand, "Did you pay attention to the directions?" She whispered to Lyla.</p><p>"Of course not," Lyla said with a laugh and shoulder bumped the younger girl. "I'm just gonna wing it and hope the Tardis likes us enough to show us the way."</p><hr/><p>The girls finally found the wardrobe room and stood stunned for a few minutes with appreciation. <em> Oh, this is every girl's dream. And maybe some boys too. </em>They split up to find dresses for this day and age. Rose found a black corset top with a deep red skirt. She paired that with a black shawl, period appropriate heels and some red flowers for the up-do twist that the Tardis did her hair in.</p><p>Lyla picked a royal blue dress that had long sleeves and a high neckline on the sides but opened in the front and dipped to show a tasteful amount of cleavage and had the right number of ruffles to be fashionable for this time, but not gaudy. She laced up her black low top converses with it because she knew that there would be running and snow. She grabbed a black shawl like Rose's before she skipped over to the hair machine that first intimidated her, but after seeing the beauty that was Rose's hair, she decided to trust the Tardis with her locks.</p><p>Her hair was pulled into a half up/ half down style. Perfect milk chocolate ringlets flowed over her shoulders and reached below her bodice. The top was twisted into a braid that flowed down the center in, what looked like to her, a very modern chic braided-mohawk. The braid ended at the nape of her neck and flowed down into the brown ringlets. She had no idea how the whole thing was staying but she gave some harsh head turns and bounced on her toes to make sure everything stayed in place. <em> I need this in my everyday life! </em></p><p>Lyla turned to Rose with a smile, "You look beautiful Rose!"</p><p>"You are too! That hairstyle is amazing!" Rose gushed as she came up to finger a chocolate brown curl.</p><p>"Right!" Lyla squealed and turned back to the mirror, "We just might start that riot after all. We look sexy."</p><p>Rose nodded and linked arms with Lyla as they made their way back towards the Doctor.</p><hr/><p>The girls walked in laughing to see the Doctor shoulder deep within the metal grates messing with some wires. <em> Hope he's not breaking it. </em> They heard popping noises and the sound of the sonic as they walked toward the railing. When he finally realized that they were back, he looked up and did a double take. His eyes lingered on Lyla as he breathed out in astonishment, "Blimey." Lyla didn't miss the reaction and filed that information away for later. <em> Well, that's interesting and good to know. </em></p><p>Rose gave a nervous giggle and looked down to smooth her skirt out, "Don't laugh."</p><p>"You two look beautiful, considering," he said looking down and away trying to cover his first reaction.</p><p>"Considering what?" Rose asked with trepidation.</p><p>"That you're human," he said while looking up from the wires he was handling.</p><p>"Why! Thank you, kind sir." Lyla said in her best southern belle voice with a small curtsy attached. The Timelords head snapped to the Texan and she saw the faintest of blushes come over the Doctor at her words. <em> Did he… Was he just… Really. He liked that thick southern twang? Gonna have to remember that. </em></p><p>Rose laughed and looked between the two before asking their driver with a raised eyebrow, "Aren't you gonna change?"</p><p>He pulled his sweater out away from himself and released it again as he said, "I've changed my jumper." He hopped out of the grate and gestured toward the door, "Come on."</p><p>Rose was quick in grabbing Lyla's hand and pulling her toward the door with a finger pointed at the Doctor, "You stay there. You've done this before. This is ours."</p><p>They reached the doors and Rose stepped out slowly listening to the crackle and crunch of snow under her shoe. As she looked up her face was bathed in wonder and excitement. Lyla was right behind her and made a mad dash out the door. She started to twirl and dance in the snow with laughter. She heard the Doctor ask Rose if she was ready to see history before they walked fully away from the entrance of the Tardis and closer to their laughing and overly happy companion. The Doctor laughed and had a soft look on his face as he watched her twirl in the snow. <em> I'm in the PAST! This is amazing. Words can't describe how surreal this is, </em>her thoughts bouncing off each other as she took in her surroundings at each turn.</p><p>Lyla stopped and faced them, out of breath she said to Rose, "I hate the cold but love the snow." She looked over at the Doctor with a wicked mischievous eye, "Come play with me Doctor." She grabbed his hand quickly before he registered what she had said and pulled him into an impromptu two-step. Her laughter grew when she looked up into his face to see an aspirated look, but he continued to dance with her anyway. She spun, twirled, and laughed cheerfully around him as he watched with soft eyes. <em> I got the Doctor to dance! </em></p><p>"Alright, Alright. That's enough of that, let's go explore," he said as he pulled her to a stop and grasped her hand firmly, interlacing their fingers and held out his arm for Rose to link hers to his.</p><p>They walked down the street toward the hustle and bustle of 1869. The trio heard Christmas Carols being sung by a festively dressed choir. They dodged horse drawn carriages and watched the people mill about on Christmas Eve. The Doctor pulled the two toward a man selling papers on the street. He released them as he went over and bought one. Lyla leaned over and whispered to Rose, "I can't believe we are seeing 1860!"</p><p>Rose gave a small squeal and bounced on her toes as she replied, "I know. This is amazing." Her eyes eagerly sought out the area and time.</p><p>The Doctor turned back to the two girls, "I got the flight a bit wrong."</p><p>Rose linked their arms again and smiled as she said back, "I don't care."</p><p>Lyla walked beside the Doctor and snagged the paper before he could fold it. She read the date with a grin before stating, "What kind of driver are you to be 9 years off?"</p><p>He looked shamefaced as he said, "It's not 1860, it's 1869."</p><p>"I don't care." Rose said again with a smile.</p><p>Lyla still reading the paper in her hands she laughed louder, tears almost streaming out of her eyes as she commented between breaths, "You even got the location wrong!"</p><p>He tugged the paper out of Lyla's hands with a scowl as she laughed at him. "And it's not Naples," he said to Rose.</p><p>"I don't care." This time she said it with a shake of her head.</p><p>"It's Cardiff." That stopped Rose in her tracks.</p><p>Lyla wiped her checks of tears as she calmed down but snorted again when she thought about how awful his driving really was. She calmed again and was finally able to comfort Rose and the Doctor, "But it's 1869. On Christmas." She paused and gave them both large smiles as she went on, "So, in exchange of Rose repeating herself a fourth time, we don't care." She gave another twirl in front of the two as she sang to an imaginary beat her voice lifting and echoing around the road, "It's the past and on Christmas! Cheer up Humbug!"</p><p>Rose and the Doctor looked at each other with identical smiles and locked arms again as they followed their dancing and singing companion.</p><p>The other two now by Lyla's side stopped as they heard screams come from down the road and in the theater. The Doctor grabbed the girl's hands and looked at them with an overly happy grin, "That's more like it." They were off at a run toward the ruckus. <em> And the running begins! </em></p><p>They made their way into the theater just in time to see the blue ghost figure zooming around the ceiling with an ethereal scream being heard. The Doctor smiled completely happy at the turn of events, "Fantastic."</p><p>"Only in this Universe would that be fantastic." Lyla said so quietly that no one heard her. She watched the Doctor run up to stage and start questioning Charles Dickens about the figure. <em> Fun time over. The real work begins. </em></p><p>They all watched as the corpse dropped to the ground. Lyla and Rose were swept up in the departing mob but could see that Sneed and Gwyneth had grabbed the old women.</p><p>"Oi! Leave her alone," Rose shouted at the two body snatchers. She turned her head to shout at the man in leather, "Doctor! I'll get them."</p><p>"Be careful." He said not realizing how desperate the mortician was.</p><p>Lyla looked back and forth between the two, trying to decide on who to go with. <em> To stay or not to stay. Charles Dickens or a chloroform rag. Rose or the Doctor. Minnie Miney Mo. </em> Her feet made the decision for her as she ran after Rose. She was just in time to see Sneed place the cloth over Rose's mouth. "Hey! Stop that!" She yelled as she barreled right into him, but Rose was already knocked out. Before she could take steps away from the desperate man, he had a firm hold of the cloth around her nose and mouth. Lyla jerked around and tried to fight the instinct to breath, but it was to no avail as she gasped for breath and promptly started to lose consciousness. Her last thought being a lame joke, <em> hey does this smell like chloroform. </em></p><hr/><p>Lyla woke up to see that Rose was still out and they were placed in the viewing room of the funeral home. <em> The answer was, yes. It did smell like chloroform. </em>She looked around at the coffins with a shiver running down her spine. She turned to Rose and started slapping her face lightly to wake her up, "Wakey. Wakey. Eggs and bakey." When she still didn't stir, "Oh come one Rose. Don't make me slap you harder." Lyla reared back and slapped her forcefully across the face. Rose sat up. Her hand flew to her check, where a red handprint was starting to form. Lyla let out a breath of air with a whisper of, "Oh, Thank the gods."</p><p>"Did you slap me?" Rose rubbed her check as she finally saw what room they were in, "You could give my mother a run for her money." She said absentmindedly.</p><p>Lyla heard the gas hissing noise that signaled the presence of the ghost like creatures. She looked around to see where it could be coming from, her thoughts running through this episode trying to figure out timelines. <em> OK right now, the Doctor is on his way with Charles or they are already at the door talking to Gwyneth. We shouldn't be in here that long. The Doctor came to save Rose. Kicked in the door, so make sure Rose is away from the door but not in danger of the Gelth. Right! Game plan is a go. </em></p><p>Lyla was pulled from her thoughts as both girls turned quickly and with twin jumps of fright. They heard the god-awful moaning and groaning that happened behind them.</p><p>"Are you all right?" Rose said as the zombie started to move out of its coffin. "You're kidding me, yeah? You're just kidding. You are kidding me, aren't you?" The zombie finally stumbled its way out of the coffin and made a lumbering walk toward the two girls.</p><p>"Fucking great. I hate zombies" Lyla said sarcastically as she pulled Rose off the table and backed up towards the door.</p><p>Rose turned and started banging on the door, "Let us out!"</p><p>"Doctor!" Lyla screamed as she watched the old lady reanimate. <em> This shit is scarier when you are here to witness it firsthand. </em></p><p>"Open the door!" Rose yelled as she twisted the door handle fruitlessly.</p><p>"Oh God, please Doctor. Open the fucking door." Lyla yelled as she kicked the door getting the same results as Rose and a bruised heel. <em> I really hate zombies! Top three evil things! Spiders, Zombies, and bathrooms with no toilet paper. </em></p><p>The zombies had now reached the two women and Lyla pushed herself in front of Rose but also closer to the out reaching hands of the zombies.</p><p>"Let me out! Somebody open the door! Open the door!" Rose kicked with her heel at the door as she tried to tug Lyla out of the zombie's grasp.</p><p>Lyla gave a scream as the man finally pulled her away from Rose and quickly placed his hand around her throat and squeezed to quiet her screams.</p><p>Just as Rose rushed forward, to get a grasp of Lyla again, the door came flying open. Rose was pulled back by a hand and quickly deposited behind the Doctor.</p><p>"I think this is my dance." The Doctors said while grabbing Lyla and tugging her free from the strangling hold. His arm stayed around her waist, fingers digging in just below her ribcage. She clung to his chest and rubbed her throat in a soothing manner. There was a flash of satisfaction that no one caught in her face as she faced the zombies. <em> Part one done. Everything is still on track. Don't think about the end just what comes next. </em>She schooled her features again into a fearful and pained look before anyone noticed.</p><p>"It's a prank. It must be. We're under some mesmeric influence." Mr. Dickens said while staring in disbelief at the creatures.</p><p>"No, we're not. The dead are walking," he said aiming the reply toward Dickens but looked back at Rose then Lyla. "Hi you two."</p><p>"Hi," Rose said faintly.</p><p>"Who's he?" Lyla asked in a strained whisper. <em> Well, that's new and painful. First the burnt hands-on Platform One now bruised vocal cords in Cardiff. </em></p><p>The Doctor looked down at her in concern after hearing her voice but still answered the question, "Charles Dickens."</p><p>Lyla nodded while Rose answered for both, "Okay."</p><p>They all faced the zombie creatures when the Doctor finally addressed them, "My name's the Doctor. Who are you, then? What do you want?"</p><p>The ghostly voices echo throughout the room, "Failing. Open the rift. We're dying." The voices faded out then much quieter they continued, "Trapped in this form. Cannot sustain. Help us." They gave a scream when they exited the dead bodies and flooded back into the gas.</p><p>Lyla watched as Gwyneth poured tea for the occupants of the room, only keeping half an ear on what Rose was berating the undertaker for and running through the next part of the show in her head. <em> Gwyneth in the kitchen with Rose while the Doctor and Charles talk in the viewing room over the dead. </em>Her thoughts cut off as her vision fills with a concerned Doctor. He knelt in front of her and elevated her chin with two fingers to see her throat and the damage that the gas creatures caused. He ran the pads of his fingers against some of the forming bruises, causing Lyla's skin to pebble up with goose bumps and her to swallow harshly. He then moved the neck portion of her dress to the side to see further along Lyla's neck. Lyla, not normally a shy person, blushed when she watched his eyes flit from worry to want as they wandered further down then just the neck area. She cleared her throat and gave him a huge smile and a wink when he finally met her eyes. With ears turning a faint pink, he said roughly, "It's not bad. I'll fix the bruises back at the Tardis, but tea will help soothe the throat and help with talking."</p><p>She gave him a put-out expression and with a roll of the eyes she acknowledged the order that he gave and accepted the tea Gwyneth handed her with a helpless and thankful smile aimed at the young female servant. She gave the Doctor a pointed look as she took a deliberate drink. He threw a cheery expression her way and ran his hand down her neck again. He slipped his fingers into her curls and gave them a playful tug before walking across the room to lean against the mantle.<em> That was not fair. Not fair at all. Don't jump the timelord. Do NOT jump the timelord. </em> Lyla froze for just half a second trying not to groan and arch at the playful treatment to her hair. She took a couple of deep breaths trying to get her wayward thoughts back into line after the hair tug.</p><p>Lyla sat her tea on a low table beside the couch that she was sitting on, and crossed her ankles and placed her head in her hands massaging her temples to help alleviate the migraine that was forming. She ignored the conversations that flowed about the room. <em> Ok news flash! Fun is over. For real this time, Sunshine. What am I going to do! I can't save Gwyneth. Or can I? UGH! I don't know! FUCK! Is her death fixed? Fuckity fuck town! </em> She groaned quietly to herself as her fingers pressed harder into her skull. <em> My head hurts. And my wrist is hot. Wait… what? </em> She brought her hands down in front of her. She slowly fingered the wolf-etched bracelet just to feel that it was hot to the touch. Almost too hot. But once her fingers brushed over the metal it instantly began to cool. <em> UGH. Tardis! She needs to explain! </em>Lyla looked up at the room to just catch Dickens leaving and she heard Sneed talking about how he got the house so cheap. She ignored this and continued to look off into space as she played with the wolf bracelet, that was now almost ice cold, its normal temperature. She took notice that the Doctor left the room with Gwyneth following soon after. Lyla stood and took Rose by the hand as she spoke, "Lets help Gwyneth clean up."</p><hr/><p>They arrived just in time to see Gwyneth light the gas lamp on the wall. Rose made her way to the sink as she prepared to help with the dishes. Lyla hung back by some of the shelves and watched Gwyneth.</p><p>"Please, miss, you shouldn't be helping. It's not right." Gwyneth protested.</p><p>Rose turned back toward the sink and picked up a towel before she said, "Don't be daft. Sneed works you to death." Gwyneth took the towel from Rose's hands with a faint nod. "How much do you get paid?" Rose curiously asked.</p><p>"Eight pound a year, miss." Gwyneth proudly boasted with a cocked head.</p><p>"How much?" Rose said shocked.</p><p>"I know. I would've been happy with six," Gwyneth confided as she gave a faint shrug of the shoulders. She turned back to the sink to start the washing again.</p><p>Rose continued to question the young maid, "So, did you go to school or what?"</p><p>Gwyneth turned back toward Rose, "Of course, I did. What do you think I am, an urchin? I went every Sunday, nice and proper."</p><p>"What, once a week?" Rose said in disbelief.</p><p>"We did sums and everything. To be honest, I hated every second." Gwyneth whispered to the other two.</p><p>Lyla just let the girls have their conversation. She looked around the kitchen as they rambled on about boys, Rose giving dating advice, and ended up at Rose's Dad. She started listening again when she heard Gwyneth bring up servants. <em> Rose really shouldn't give dating advice seeing as she ran away from her boyfriend and dropped out of school for the other. </em></p><p>"No, no servants where we're from." Rose told the young maid.</p><p>"And you've come such a long way." Gwyneth intoned as she advanced on Rose slightly.</p><p>"What makes you think so?" Rose had a slight tremor in her voice when she replied.</p><p>Gwyneth's voice got low and she stared Rose in the eyes when she spoke, "You're from London. I've seen London in drawings, but never like that. All those people rushing about half naked, for shame." She gave a slight disturbed look but continued on, "And the noise, and the metal boxes racing past, and the birds in the sky, no, they're metal as well. Metal birds with people in them. People are flying," she grimaced. "And you, you've flown so far." She stopped and pierced Lyla with her stare now. "But you've come the farthest. You've seen things that should never be uttered. The cracks, the creatures without a face, the crying angels, Yana, but you burn so bright. But a name follows you. The big Bad Wolf." She backed away quickly from the brown-haired girl. With wide and fearful eyes, she started stuttering out apologies, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Miss."</p><p>Lyla stared in shock at the maid, <em> what the fuck was that! I knew about Bad Wolf. That's the whole reason why I'm here but Yana and the silence. Does that mean I have to deal with River? Does that mean that I can't go home? </em>Her thoughts tumbled around in her head as a single tear fell from her eye. She was panting trying to get air into her closing lungs due to panic.</p><p>Rose looked back and forth between the women, seeing the scared looks on both of their faces. She decided to answer for Lyla, "It's all right."</p><p>"I can't help it. Ever since I was a little girl, my mam said I had the sight. She told me to hide it," she said, almost crying as she tried to explain.</p><p>"But it's getting stronger, more powerful, is that right?" The two younger women jumped and turned to look at the speaker that just made his presence known. Lyla, still in the grips of a panic attack, didn't even notice his entrance. She took several deep breaths and started counting random numbers, <em> 2, 8, 19, 27, 43, 1, 5, 11. </em>As she finished, her breathing had slowed, and her mind cleared of the impending black out of lack of oxygen. She wiped her eyes of fallen tears.</p><p>"All the time, sir. Every night, voices in my head." Gwyneth answered looking down with a slight pained look about her.</p><p>"You grew up on top of the rift. You're part of it. You're the key." The Doctor explained.</p><p>"I've tried to make sense of it, sir. Consulted with spiritualists, table rappers, all sorts."</p><p>"Well, that should help. You can show us what to do." He approved. Rose was following the conversation like a tennis match. Lyla still had her back to the Doctor as she kept her eyes on Gwyneth trying to convey a silent message through whatever power that she possessed. <em> Come on Gwyneth look at me! </em></p><p>"What to do where, sir?" Gwyneth questioned.</p><p>"We're going to have a séance," The Doctor concluded as he smiled faintly at the prospect of finding out about the creatures.</p><p>Lyla gave up trying to catch the young girl's eye and turned toward the Doctor and her fear had turned to anger like a flipped switch. Her eyes found his on instinct and she almost blew a gasket, but she kept it together as she walked out of the pantry and toward the living room again. She could hear the other two following behind them. The Doctor caught up to her and grabbed her hand to slow her fast-clipped walk that she was trying to use to escape from him. She yanked out of his grasp as they entered the living room and made her way to the couch where she sat in her earlier position of fingers to temples and ignored the room as they got ready for the séance. <em> His fault. All his fault that I won't be able to go home. All his fault. Oh my god. Calm down. Think Lyla! Is it his fault really… no it isn't. Don't put blame where blame doesn't go. I am acting bipolar. Get your emotions under control. Calm down, breathe, and suck it up buttercup! </em></p><p>The Doctor followed Lyla and crouched down in front of her again lifting her head, with both hands on either side of her face, to stare into her eyes. She was still spitting mad, but her mouth was firmly shut as she started back with levels of rage that the Doctor was uncomfortable in seeing. "What's wrong?" He said concerned.</p><p>She gave a hollow laugh, that was still rough from earlier, and pulled her face from his hands. "If you have to ask, you'll never know," She quoted and looked over his shoulder to see that they had the table set up. She stood and stepped around the Doctor and took her place between Rose and Charles. <em> What could I tell him? He's about to kill a young woman because of his survivor's guilt. Or that he will endanger everyone in this house. Or maybe that I kinda, sort of, probably shouldn't but do blame him for not being able to go home. </em></p><p>Once everyone was seated, Gwyneth explained with a smile, "This is how Madam Mortlock summons those from the Land of Mists, down in Big Town. Come, we must all join hands."</p><p>Charles rolled his eyes, "I can't take part in this."</p><p>"Humbug? Come on, open mind." The Doctor remarked.</p><p>"This is precisely the sort of cheap mummery I strive to unmask. Séance? Nothing but luminous tambourines and a squeeze box concealed between the knees. This girl knows nothing," Charles objected.</p><p>"Now, don't antagonize her. I love a happy medium," The Doctor joked.</p><p>Lyla rolled her eyes and Rose admitted, "I can't believe you just said that."</p><p>"I can," Lyla spoke loud enough that only Rose and Charles could hear her.</p><p>"Come on, we might need you," The Doctor supplied while Lyla opened her hand inviting him back to the table.</p><p>"I don't bite Mr. Dickens. At least not unless you want me too," she winked, and Charles blushed at the implications. "Come have a seat and watch the magic happen," Lyla coaxed with a cheeky grin. Charles sits back down with a faint blush still staining his cheeks and grabbed Gwyneth's and Lyla's hand.</p><p>The Doctor gave Lyla a confused hurt look but returned to the waiting physic with a calm small smile, "Good man. Now, Gwyneth, reach out."</p><p>Gwyneth began, "Speak to us. Are you there? Spirits, come. Speak to us that we may relieve your burden." She looked straight up at the ceiling suddenly and the whispering started to be heard around the room.</p><p>"Can you hear that," Rose gasped while looking around, trying to find the source.</p><p>"Nothing can happen. This is sheer folly," Charles said with exasperation.</p><p>Lyla squeezed his hand and nodded to Gwyneth as she instructed the writer, "But look. Use your eyes and look at her."</p><p>"I see them. I feel them," Gwyneth sang in awe at whatever she was seeing. Blue tendrils start floating and swirling above their heads.</p><p>"They can't get through the rift. Gwyneth, it's not controlling you, you're controlling it. Now, look deep. Allow them through," the Doctor quietly spoke to Gwyneth getting her a little closer to achieving their goal.</p><p>"I can't," she cried.</p><p>"Yes, you can. Just believe it. I have faith in you, Gwyneth. Make the link," he said in a placating voice.</p><p>"Yes," she cried. Her head jerked downwards and stared off into the distance as huge blue ghostly figures formed behind her. All participants of the séance looked at the figure in awe except Lyla, who kept her eyes alternating between the Doctor and Gwyneth. <em> Don't look at the creepy child looking aliens. Don't do it, just stay focused and pay attention. </em></p><p>"Great God! Spirits from the other side," Sneed exclaimed.</p><p>"The other side of the universe," the Doctor corrected the old undertaker.</p><p>Childlike voices spoke over-lapping each other and Gwyneth's voice as they pleaded in unison, "Pity us. Pity the Gelth. There is so little time. Help us."</p><p>"What do you want us to do?" The Doctor asked the Gelth. Lyla growled under her breath, <em> Idiot. That's not what you ask first. </em></p><p>"The rift. Take the girl to the rift. Make the bridge," the childlike voices sang out.</p><p>"What for?" He questioned.</p><p>"We are so very few. The last of our kind. We face extinction," explained the Gelth</p><p> The concerned Doctor asked, "Why, what happened?"</p><p>"Once we had a physical form like you, but then the war came."</p><p>"War? What war?" Charles asked, getting into the séance.</p><p>"The Time War." Rose and Lyla shared a look before Rose paid attention to the Gelth again and Lyla turned back toward the Doctor. Lyla's eyes found his and without looking away she stared back at him with a closed off expression. "The whole universe convulsed. The Time War raged. Invisible to smaller species but devastating to higher forms. Our bodies wasted away. We're trapped in this gaseous state." <em> And that's where you should stay. </em></p><p>The Doctor looked away from Lyla's penetrating stare and made a simple observation, "So that's why you need the corpses."</p><p>"We want to stand tall, to feel the sunlight, to live again. We need a physical form, and your dead are abandoned. They're going to waste. Give them to us," the Gelth reasoned.</p><p>Rose, speaking up finally, protested, "But we can't."</p><p>"Why not?" questioned the Doctor.</p><p>She fumbled with her words as she tried to explain her reasoning, "It's not- I mean- it's not-."</p><p>"Not decent? Not polite? It could save their lives." The Doctor interrupted.</p><p>"Enough," Lyla's voice rang out in the room as all eyes went to her. She kept her head lowered and her head tilted to the side like she was listening to something no one else could hear but she was just waiting for the rest of the speech from the Gelth. <em> It's not over until the fat lady sings. Or in this case the creepy children voice a plea. </em></p><p>"Open the rift. Let the Gelth through. We're dying. Help us. Pity the Gelth." They faded out and Gwyneth slumped toward the table. Rose and Lyla were up in a flash to make sure the girl was alright.</p><hr/><p>The girls were around Gwyneth, who was laid up on a fainting couch, when she started to stir.</p><p>"It's all right. You just sleep," Rose cajoled while she patted her head down with a damp cloth.</p><p>"But my angels, miss. They came, didn't they? They need me," Gwyneth asked while she stranded to sit up.</p><p>"They do need you, Gwyneth. You're they're only chance of survival," the Doctor interjected as he leaned up against the doorway.</p><p>Rose turned quickly and barked at the Doctor, "I've told you, leave her alone. She's exhausted and she's not fighting your battles." She turned back and offered Gwyneth a cup, "Now drink this."</p><p>Lyla heard the Doctor sigh and tapped his head on the door frame. She ignored that and turned to Rose, "I've got her." She pointed over her shoulder at the Doctor, who started explaining things to the other men in the room, and went on, "Go participate in that discussion for us will you."</p><p>Rose nodded and wandered off toward the others. Lyla turned to Gwyneth and wrapped her in a huge hug and spoke quickly and softly in her hair, "I know you saw what happens to you. I can find a way to stop it. I just need you to tell me and I will fight tooth and nail for you. But I will not object if you want to continue with this path. I know you know the dangers and the outcome. It's your choice. Tell me if there is, any doubt, any hesitation, any at all and I will fight him for you." Lyla pulled away from her with tears streaming down her face.</p><p>Gwyneth reached up and wiped them away for her before speaking, "Your right, I do know. The Wolf and Time demands it of me. This is my duty and destiny. You have a big heart and a bigger soul. Let me do this for him," her eyes darted to the Doctor then went back to Lyla as she finished, "And for you."</p><p>Lyla choked back tears as she slowly nodded her head, "OK, but that doesn't let him off the hook. I'm still going to fight just a smidge. I have to keep up appearances and he deserves it." She gave a watery laugh to the faintly smiling girl.</p><p>They started listening again to the conversation that was happening around them.</p><p>"Do you own a donor card?" The Doctor set in on Rose.</p><p>"That's different. That's-," Rose started.</p><p>"It is different, yeah. It's a different morality. Get used to it or go home. You heard what they said, time's short. I can't worry about a few corpses when the last of the Gelth could be dying," the Doctor was practically shouting in Rose's face by now.</p><p>Lyla stood up and gained the attention of the room. Her voice was low with barely contained anger, she raged, "And who, my dear old Doctor, made you God? Who gave you the right to lease out old and dead family members?" She paused and looked up into his eyes to see surprise and anger building. <em> Oh… am I going to get to see the Oncoming Storm. Does that make me special? </em>"Who? Cause the way I see it, is that you're the only alien in here and you can't and don't speak for humanity. That's not your right." She advanced on him slowly, taking measured steps in his direction, his eyes now closed off, but Lyla could easily read that the anger had turned into rage and was building like a storm. She hissed quietly now in his face, "And don't think, I don't see what this is truly. Why won't you stop and use that brain that you so love to boast about." She sneered in his face, "Why is it that Humans, for a change, can see clearly but you can't?" She raised a finger and poked him in the chest with each word that she snarled next, "Guilt will be your death and everyone else's here." His eyes flashed like lightning and barely contained rage. He gripped her wrist with a bruising force, but she did not wince nor show her pain.</p><p>He was interrupted from saying anything and berating her by Gwyneth speaking up, "Don't I get a say miss."</p><p>Rose watched the two as if waiting for a bomb to explode when she replied to Gwyneth, "Look, you don't understand what's going on."</p><p>"You would say that miss, because that's very clear inside your head, that you think I'm stupid," Gwyneth stated matter-of-factly.</p><p>"That's not fair," Rose deflected, finally looking at Gwyneth.</p><p>The Doctor snarled in low tones that reached an octave lower than his regular voice, "We will speak later." He released Lyla's wrist and she took a step back.</p><p>With a roll of her eyes, a sneer that Loki would be proud of, and a defiant head tilt, she retorted, "Go fuck yourself." He gave a growl of anger but before he could reach out and grab her again, she was beside Gwyneth and holding her hand. <em> Oh. My. God. He's gonna kill me. Drop me off at home like Adam. Why can't I keep my fat mouth shut! He deserved every word though. </em></p><p>The Doctor took a deep breath and looked at Gwyneth as he insisted, "You don't have to do anything," his voice still deep and gravelly from his anger at Lyla.</p><p>Lyla squeezed her hand and ducked her head. Her emotions on a roller coaster ride as the day went by. Gwyneth looked to Lyla and reminded, "They've been singing to me since I was a child, sent by my mam on a holy mission." She pulled her eyes away from Lyla and looked back to the Doctor, "So tell me."</p><p>"We need to find the rift. This house is on a weak spot, so there must be a spot that's weaker than any other." He pushed himself off the door frame and looked to the owner of the house and asked, "Mister Sneed, what's the weakest part of this house? The place where most of the ghosts have been seen?"</p><p>The undertaker thought for a moment then answered, "That would be the morgue."</p><hr/><p>They made their way down to the basement where it was dark and dank and smelt like dead people. Lyla soon found herself looking at sheet covered bodies that were laid out on tables.</p><p>"Urgh. Talk about bleak house," the Doctor said lightly.</p><p>Rose, still trying to understand the mechanics of time, questioned him, "The thing is, Doctor, the Gelth don't succeed, 'cos I know they don't. I know for a fact there weren't corpses walking around in 1869."</p><p>"Time's in flux, changing every second. Your cozy little world can be rewritten like that." He snapped his fingers and looked directly at Lyla when he stated, "Nothing is safe. Remember that. Nothing." <em> Oh, I think that was supposed to be a threat or warning towards me. </em></p><p>"Was that supposed to sound like a threat, Doctor?" Lyla questioned him with a cold look.</p><p>A chill passed through the room stopping whatever the Doctor was about to say and prompting Dickens to state the obvious, "Doctor, I think the room is getting colder."</p><p>The Gelth appeared under the arch and sang out, "You've come to help. Praise the Doctor. Praise him."</p><p>"Promise you won't hurt her," Rose pleaded but got no confirmation to what she had asked. <em> Is it just because I know what going to happen that I think everyone is being stupid? Is it just because I can see the flaws in all of this? </em></p><p>"Hurry! Please, so little time. Pity the Gelth." <em> Pity my ass. Go suck on a tit, you evil dicks. </em></p><p>The Doctor stood before them and reminded, "I'll take you somewhere else after the transfer. Somewhere you can build proper bodies. This isn't a permanent solution, all right?"</p><p>"My angels. I can help them live," Gwyneth approached the Doctor, waiting for her instructions.</p><p>"Okay, where's the weak point?" He asked.</p><p>"Here, beneath the arch," the childlike voices sang out again.</p><p>Gwyneth stepped beneath the arch and Rose rushed to her to try to persuade her one last time, "You don't have to do this."</p><p>Gwyneth just looked at her and intoned, "My Angels," as if that's all the explanation that was needed.</p><p>Lyla walked up to her and gave her a hug and a quiet thank you in her ear and subtly felt for a pulse. Having found none, a few tears slipped out and she said a quiet goodbye as well.</p><p>The Gelth, over Gwyneth's head, started getting louder as it cried out, "Establish the bridge. Reach out to the void. Let us through!"</p><p>Lyla stepped back away from the servant girl when Gwyneth answered the Gelth back, "Yes, I can see you. I can see you. Come!"</p><p>"Bridgehead establishing."</p><p>"Come to me. Come to this world, poor lost souls."</p><p>"It has begun. The bridge is made." Gwyneth opened her mouth and blue gas began to pour out into the room. "She has given herself to the Gelth. The bridge is open. We descend." The Gelth became red and appeared with sharp teeth as their voice growled out instead of the childlike tones of before, "The Gelth will come through in force."</p><p>"You said that you were few in number," Dickens gulped.</p><p>"A few billion. And all of us in need of corpses," the Gelth responded. The dead began to rise, and the sheets started to drop.</p><p>Sneed approached Gwyneth, "Now, Gwyneth, stop this. Listen to your master. This has gone far enough. Stop dabbling, child, and leave these things alone, I beg of you." Before the corpse could grab Sneed, Lyla grabbed him firmly by his jacket. She gave a great pull towards her and then a shove towards Dickens. She quickly backed up away from the reaching dead hands until she could feel the Doctors presence at her back. Lyla looked around at all the dead bodies that were starting to rise and shivered in revulsion.</p><p>Having seen what would have happened if Lyla hadn't been quick on her feet and grabbed Sneed, the Doctor commented lightly, "I think it's gone a little bit wrong."</p><p>"You think," Lyla retorted with a slight elbow to his gut in retaliation. <em> Now the Alien gets a clue! </em></p><p>"We need bodies. All of you. Dead. The human race. Dead," the Gelth taunted as they approached the trio.</p><p>The Doctor attempted speaking to Gwyneth, "Gwyneth, stop them! Send them back now!"</p><p>The Gelth kept approaching the three as they continued backing up, "Three more bodies. Convert them. Make them vessels for the Gelth."</p><p>"Doctor, I can't. I'm sorry. This new world of yours is too much for me. I'm so-," he escaped through the door with Mr. Sneed hot on his tail.</p><p>Lyla heard a rusty door opening and felt hands clasp on to her hips as she was pulled into the alcove with the other two. She situated herself beside the Doctor after he released her and started looking around at the pipes.</p><p>"Give yourself to glory. Sacrifice your lives for the Gelth." The gas aliens reached through the bars trying to get to the trio.</p><p>Lyla found the pipes and started opening as many as she could. <em> Gas. Why did it have to be gas, </em>she thought as she gagged already feeling lightheaded.</p><p>"I trusted you. I pitied you!" The Doctor yelled at the Gelth.</p><p>"We don't want your pity. We want this world and all it's flesh," was the answer back.</p><p>"Not while I'm alive," he promised.</p><p>"Then live no more."</p><p>"But I can't die. Tell me I can't. I haven't even been born yet. It's impossible for me to die. Isn't it?" Rose questioned the Doctor. Worry and fear etched on her face. <em> Grow up little blondie. Life isn't sunshine and lemonade. </em></p><p>"I'm sorry." The Doctor said with sorrow.</p><p>"Guys. I think I have a plan." Lyla said faintly but they either ignored her or weren't listening.</p><p>"But it's 1869. How can I die now?" Rose said dejectedly. <em> Jesus! Will you too get your head out of your ass and listen to me! </em></p><p>"Time isn't a straight line. It can twist into any shape. You can be born in the twentieth century and die in the nineteenth and it's all my fault. I brought you two here," he apologized.</p><p>Rose faced forward after listening to his spill and assured the Doctor, "It's not your fault. I wanted to come."</p><p>Lyla gave a hacking cough and said faintly, "I have a fucking plan if you two are done bitching about dying here." They turned to look at Lyla as one, but she doubled over in a coughing fit and gagged at the end with the force of her coughs.</p><p>"Wait, what is that smell," the Doctor inquired.</p><p>Lyla gave up and instead intertwined her hand with the Doctors and held on for dear life as she tried not to pass out from lack of oxygen. He looked over at her with a small smile that fell quickly as he sniffed again. This time looking at Lyla as she struggled to breathe. "What did you do?" He questioned.</p><p>"Turned on the gas. I was a science major in college. Those aliens are gaseous, so fill the room with gas," she coughed again and leaned into the Doctor a little bit more and her voice had softened to a whisper as she said gently, "Suck them out of the host." <em> Finally! Now concentrate on not passing out. </em></p><p>"What and kill us faster?," Rose demanded.</p><p>At that moment, Dickens ran into the room, "Doctor! Doctor! Turn off the flame, turn up the gas! Now, fill the room, all of it, now!"</p><p>"Brilliant you are," he cackled and leaned over Lyla and placed a passing kiss on her temple as he pulled the main gas line. "Plenty more!" <em> Did he just… I think he did. Why? Maybe I'm already hallucinating. </em></p><p>The Gelth got sucked back into the air and the corpses dropped with a resounding thud. The trio rush out of the alcove and up to Gwyneth, "Gwyneth, send them back. They lied. They're not angels," the Doctor pleaded as he held Lyla up.</p><p>"Liars," she mumbled dreamily.</p><p>"Look at me. If your mother and father could look down and see this, they'd tell you the same. They'd give you the strength. Now send them back!" The Doctor insisted as he tried to reason with her.</p><p>Lyla gave another hacking cough and swayed into the Doctor. He looked down with fear clearly on his face as he assessed the situation. "Get them out now!" The Doctor instructed Dickens. Lyla was passed to Dickens and he held her up as she faded in and out. Black spots appearing in her vision. <em> I will not pass out. I will not pass out. </em></p><p>"Doctor! This poor girl," Dickens fretted</p><p>He looked over at Lyla but just continued begging to get them all out in time, "Remember that world you saw? Rose's world? All those people. None of it will exist unless you send them back through the rift."</p><p>"I can't send them back. But I can hold them. Hold them in this place, hold them here. Get out." Gwyneth sagged to the side as she pulled out a match box.</p><p>"You can't!" Rose yelled and rushed the girl to just be held back by the Doctor.</p><p>"Rose, get out. Go now. I won't leave her while she's still in danger. Now go!" The Doctor coaxed.</p><p>Dickens pulled Lyla through the hallways of the house, as he was supporting most of her weight by now, and they were quickly followed by Rose. They made it outside and sucked in massive amounts of oxygen to clear out the gas. Lyla turned around, still wobbly on her feet, and watched the house with trepidation as she waited for the Doctor. She saw him dive out seconds before the house exploded. <em> I'm so sorry Gwyneth. </em>Tears poured from her eyes in silent trails down her face as she watched the burning house.</p><p>Rose looked at the Doctor full of sadness. "She didn't make it," she sniffled.</p><p>"I'm sorry. She closed the rift," he consoled, looking back at the burning house.</p><p>"At such a cost. The poor child," Dickens sighed.</p><p>Lyla walked up beside the Doctor and took his hand, interlacing their fingers in a fierce grip. He looked over at her and saw the steady flow of tears down her cheeks as she looked up at him, he tried to comfort and explain gently, "I did try, but Gwyneth was already dead. She had been for at least five minutes."</p><p>"What do you mean," Rose sniffed.</p><p>"I think she was dead from the minute she stood in that arch," he solemnly answered her.</p><p>"But she can't have. She spoke to us. She helped us. She saved us. How could she have done that?" Rose ranted, confused on the mechanics again.</p><p>"There are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy. Even for you, Doctor," Charles Dickens wisely stated.</p><p>Rose looked back at the burning structure, "She saved the world. A servant girl. No one will ever know."</p><p>Lyla sniffed and with a rough voice from the earlier choke hold, coughing up gas, and now from holding back sobs, "We'll know. That's all that matters."</p><hr/><p>They all walked back to the Tardis, "Right then, Charlie boy, I've just got to go into my, er, shed. Won't be long," informed the Doctor.</p><p>"What are you going to do now?" Rose asked the writer.</p><p>"I shall take the mail coach back to London, quite literally post-haste. This is no time for me to be on my own. I shall spend Christmas with my family and make amends to them. After all I've learned tonight, there can be nothing more vital." Dickens chittered with a slight bounce at the prospect of seeing his family.</p><p>The Doctor noticed his change in mood from earlier and acknowledged, "You've cheered up."</p><p>"Exceedingly!" He chuckled, "This morning, I thought I knew everything in the world. Now I know I've just started. All these huge and wonderful notions, Doctor. I'm inspired. I must write about them," Dickens gushed with a smile and a writer's gleam in his eye.</p><p>Lyla laughed softly at his change of mood. <em> At least one of us is happy. </em></p><p>Rose smiled, "Do you think that's wise?"</p><p>"I shall be subtle at first. The Mystery of Edwin Drood still lacks an ending. Perhaps the killer was not the boy's uncle. Perhaps he was not of this Earth. The Mystery of Edwin Drood and the Blue Elementals. I can spread the word, tell the truth," he boasted. Excited at the prospect of writing interesting new tales for the world to read.</p><p>The Doctor went up to him and shook his hand as he chuckled, "Good luck with it. Nice to meet you. Fantastic."</p><p>Lyla hugged him and whispered into his ear, "Thank you! And have a Merry Christmas, Charlie." She stepped away and back over to where the Doctor was standing by the doors.</p><p>Rose gave him a kiss on the check after she thanked him, "Bye, then, and thanks."</p><p>"Oh, my dears. How modern. Thank you, but I don't understand. In what way is this goodbye? Where are you going?" Charles questioned.</p><p>"You'll see. In the shed," the Doctor said cheekily.</p><p>"Upon my soul, Doctor, it's one riddle after another with you. But after all these revelations, there's one mystery you still haven't explained. Answer me this. Who are you?" The writer asked curiously.</p><p>"Just a friend passing through," he answered.</p><p>"But you have such knowledge of future times. I don't wish to impose on you, but I must ask you. My books. Doctor, do they last?" He inquired with a hopeful look.</p><p>The Doctor chuckled and gave Charles a big grin, "Oh, Yes."</p><p>"How long?"</p><p>"Forever. Right. Shed. Come on, Lyla, Rose."</p><p>"In the box? All three of you?" Dickens noted, with a naughty look at the doctor. Something close to praise and pride on his face at the notion of two females in a small box with the Doctor.</p><p>The Doctor gave him a cheeky smile, "Down Boy. See you." The three stepped into the Tardis and made their way to the console. Lyla flopped down in the Captain's chair with a sigh.</p><p>"Doesn't that change history if he writes about blue ghosts?" Rose asked the Doctor as they walked.</p><p>"In a week's time it's 1870, and that's the year he dies. Sorry. He'll never get to tell his story," the Doctor explained.</p><p>"He was so sweet though," Lyla said off handedly as she rubbed her temples again.</p><p>The Doctor looked over at the lounging girl, "But in your time, he was already dead. We've brought him back to life, and he's more alive now than he's ever been, old Charlie boy. Let's give him one last surprise." Lyla smiled and stood back up to help at the console as well as Rose. They dematerialized and they watched the shock and fascination take over Charles Dickens face as they flew into the time vortex.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Interlude 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>
  <b>Interlude</b>
</h1>
<p>
  <span>Lyla and Rose gave a joyful laugh and leaned against the railing. Everything was quiet for a beat then Rose yawned, "I need a bed, Doctor."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Right!" he clapped, "Follow me, both of you." His smile didn't reach his eyes like earlier in the night. He led them through the hallways, making several turns before he stopped before a light gray door that had a pink rose etched into it. He gestured toward the door with a raised hand and nudged Rose with the other. "Go on," he coaxed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She slowly reached for the handle and stepped in. Lyla was behind her with wide eyes as she looked around. The room was at least the size of the Tyler flat. The bed was a canopy style with pink gauzy material over it and a darker pink comforter and pillows. There was one door that Lyla guessed led to a bathroom or maybe a closet she wasn't sure which. She looked at Rose, whose jaw was dropped in shock and awe at the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor explained to the two stunned girls, "Through that door is a bathroom and a closet. The Tardis personalizes all bedrooms, so you just have to think what you want changed if you find something you don't like," he paused before adding, "Any questions?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose ran and hugged him as she smiled, "Thank you. This is beautiful." She twirled around the room and danced her way toward the bathroom.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla followed her friend to the bathroom door, in a much more subdued pace, and stood in shock as she looked around the pristine bathroom. She didn't see Rose, so she figured she had ventured into the closet that stood to her left. She spoke loudly through the bathroom to be heard in the closet, "Hey Rose, I'll see you in a couple hours, yeah? I'm gonna go find my own room now. You can visit tomorrow and check out my space."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose rushed out with a gigantic smile and nodded, "Sounds good. Goodnight." She hugged Lyla and turned back toward the closet.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Lyla walked back out into the bedroom and made her way toward the hallway, where she found the Doctor leaning against the wall. Once he saw her, he grabbed her hand and pulled her down the hallway without a word. A couple minutes of silence and walking the hallways he pulled her into a now familiar room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked around the med bay and without a word she jumped up on the bed and waited to be examined. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Aren't I a good little patient? </span>
  </em>
  <span>She watched as he went over and grabbed a scanner off the wall and shuffled back toward her. He scanned her lungs and sat the device down and read the results on a screen that she couldn't see. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Even if I could see them, I probably couldn't read them. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He kept his eyes down not meeting hers when she finally sighed, "Look, I'm sorry that I told you to go fuck yourself. I was angry but that's really no excuse for me to let my mouth run away from me." His eyes snapped up to hers and held hers as she apologized. She watched as a dejected look flashed across his face but was quickly hidden as he turned away from her. He started fiddling in a cabinet for a couple of minutes, when he finally found what he was looking for he walked back over to her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>WOW silent treatment. What are we 7.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He lifted her neck with a couple of fingers under the chin, when he finally opened his mouth to speak, his voice was rough, "Open." She just looked at him before she sighed and did as she was told. Once she complied, he sprayed a mist down her exposed throat and spoke again, "Swallow." She complied with the order, and a cool sensation spread in the back of her throat. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Mm… mint. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He gave a slight nod and put the spray back where he found it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He walked back toward her and pulled a rolly chair with his foot and took a seat. He watched her as she fidgeted and played with the wolf bracelet that he had seen her do when she was deep in thought or nervous. He sighed, "You were right. I didn't have the authority to offer the dead as a substitute for a temporary body." </span>
  <em>
    <span>Did he just admit that he was wrong and one of his companions were right? </span>
  </em>
  <span>He looked down at his hands as he continued, "I did feel guilty about the war and all I could think about was helping a species that lost so much because of it." He cringed as he talked of the war that brought up memories best left buried in the past. "I lost myself and then you came in and, short of hitting me in my big head, told me everything I didn't want to hear." He looked up at this tiny curvy human, who turned everything upside down, and sighed, "I'm sorry that you had to fight me on something that I should've been able to see from the start. That's not why I asked you to be my companion." He had tears pooling in his eyes as he finished, "I could've lost you. And Rose. I did lose Gwyneth. That's my fault. And you don't know how sorry I am that I was too prideful in the knowledge that I know what's best for everyone when sometimes I don't." A lone tear escaped as he came to the end of his apology.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla watched as he looked back down at his hands, not able to watch the inevitable anger he knew would surface on her face. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That must have been hard as shit. Forgive but not forget. Like I could forget, really. And like I'm even angry. Gwyneth made up her mind. She knew the consequences.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She tilted her head as she came to a consensus in her head. She hopped off the bed and glided over the floor, where she ended up standing in front of his seated self. She reached out her hands and placed one on the back of his head and pulled to where his head was resting on her stomach. Her other hand rubbed across the fine hairs of his military style haircut.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He froze for half a second before he released his pent-up thoughts and accepted the comfort. His hands came up around her middle and hugged her close. She felt him shudder but never commented on it, she just continued rubbing his head. She dug her fingers into the back of his neck to give a gentle massage as he let himself find some comfort in another individual.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After what felt like hours to Lyla, what was only just a couple of minutes later when the Doctor pulled away from her and herded her back to the bed with gentle hands and motions. He turned as soon as she was settled and pulled out a drawer to grab a blue jar. He walked back as he was uncapping it and ended up standing in front of her once again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>To lighten the mood Lyla gave a smile and chuckled, "You know two adventures and at the end of both of them I have ended up here. I think that is my sign that I'm a bit accident-prone and you may have jinxed us."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He frowned at the jar of white cream as he dipped his fingers in. He picked up her wrist and smeared the salve on the forming bruises that he caused when he manhandled her earlier in his rage at her disobedience. "That's not something to boast about. You are the most accident-prone companion that I have ever had. Some type of record that is," he mumbled as he continued working the salve into her flesh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You've had other companions?" She asked with interest. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Don't lie. Don't make rule one true.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He winced, "A few. Here and there. Traveling through time is a lonely life."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Can you tell me about them?" She coaxed wondering if he really would tell her about his other companions and adventures. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I can't believe that he admitted he had other traveling partners. It took Rose meeting Sarah Jane for him to admit he had others.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked up and studied her face looking for jealousy of some sort, but all he found was curiosity and poorly concealed excitement. "Maybe," he thought out loud, "one day."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm gonna hold you to that mister," she smiled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shook his head in faint amusement and finished rubbing the salve into her wrist and looked back up to her neck. He sighed as he saw a new dilemma in fully healing her, "I should've let you change before coming in here." At her confused stare, he gave her high-necked dress a playful tug as he pointed out the problem. She grinned mischievously and lowered her eyes to where she was looking at him from below her lashes. She started undoing the buttons that held the top up. He sputtered and took several steps away and turned his back to her with wide eyes as he stammered out, "What are you doing?" </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, that was too easy.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh, don't be such a prude and turn around I'm done," Lyla chuckled at his response of a little strip tease. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Good to know.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor turned around cautiously and looked at what she had done. She had unbuttoned the top of the dress and it now hung loose around her hips. The black corset that she was wearing under her dress was in full view to his gaze. The tip of his ears turned red and he swallowed thickly. She was completely covered but now he had full access to her neck and shoulders.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His eyes dipped down and watched her breast try to escape their lace prison with each breath she took. He heard her clear her throat and his eyes snapped up to hers where he saw a smile and received a saucy wink. "Eyes up here handsome," she drawled in a slow thick southern accent. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Who knew I could flirt? Certainly not me. That's for sure.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He gulped but shook himself to get this current torture over with as fast as possible. He hastily dipped his fingers in the salve and when his eyes came back up to her bruises all he could see was miles of long, tan neck.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She had turned her head to the side and up, presenting him with full access. He swallowed hard and felt a heat creep down his neck but pushed onward as he started to rub his fingers down her neck, around the forming bruises. Lyla sighed as she settled into the feel of the pads of his fingers working against her neck.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A couple minutes passed them by, both were too focused on the current task to really document the passage of time but when the Doctor pulled away and capped the jar again, Lyla sighed in disappointment. She straightened up in her seat and softly said in a thick southern voice, that came on instinct with being so comfortable and tired, "We all done here, sweets? Cause I'm about ready to fall over in exhaustion." She laughed a bit, "You may have to carry me out of here, I'm so tired."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah, let me show you to your room," he replied in a rough voice. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If I didn't know better, I would say that he found the accent sexy.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla hopped down from the bed and grabbed the Doctor's hand as she made her way to the door. He led her out into the hallway and a couple turns later they were standing in front of a black door with a galaxy swirling across it. The blues, purples, pinks and reds all swirling and moving as one and dotted throughout by stars. Lyla stared slack jawed for a couple of seconds before she reached for the doorknob. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If the door is this beautiful what the hell does the room look like. It's like the wardrobe to Narnia.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As she pushed the door open, she was even more speechless as the perfect room came into view. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, bless you Tardis. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The ceiling was the first thing that caught her attention and looked like the night sky but with nebulas, blackholes, and galaxies adorning it. Her eyes fell on the huge black sleigh bed in the middle of the back wall and fell in love instantly. On either side of the bed was matching nightstands that held a music player and empty picture frames. With a gentle nudge at her back from the Doctor, she walked further in the room. Lyla turned a slow circle to the right and found a black baby grand piano in one corner just waiting to be played. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How… never mind. Thank you. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tears filled her eyes as she walked up to the instruments. She slowly ran her fingers over the top of the closed lid of the baby grand while she marveled at the extravagance and surreal quality of the situation that she found herself in for the first time in nine months. "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore Toto," she breathed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tearing her eyes away from the piano she faced the Doctor, who was still in the door frame and feasted her eyes on the quantity of bookshelves she now had. They were full of books and on a closer inspection, they were all her favorites or ones that were on her to read list.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The remaining wall held the bathroom door and small sitting area. A couch adorned the wall with a black coffee table in front of it. The carpet was thick, soft, and white. She laughed full of excitement and ran off toward the bathroom with the Doctor following at a more sedated pace.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Lyla entered the bathroom, her first thought was that heaven had blessed her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I must have been super good in a previous life. </span>
  </em>
  <span>A big jacuzzi tub that could hold six people rested against the far wall with a shower just perpendicular to that. The walls were a soft ocean blue with accents of sand browns on the floor and shower tiles. The room even had a salty ocean breeze smell. She gulped down deep breaths as she tried not to squeal like a possessed fangirl. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Like fucking Gundi, Mother Teressa, or the Pope good.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She spun around and lunged at the Doctor to wrap him in a bear hug, "Thank you!" She finally lost the battle on the squeal that had been building in her throat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He chuckled lowly as he hugged her back. He watched as she spun again and stood in front of the vanity, she tilted her head to the side and took in her appearance. Her eyes were wide and bright and her cheeks were flushed a rosy pink from the excitement. Lyla felt her heart pounding as she took in the surrealness of having her dream place. Her locks were still in their precarious formation but were slightly frazzled around the edges. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How the hell am I supposed to get that down. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Her eyes continued down and took in her half-dressed state, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I look fucking hot and I look like I just had a fantastic orgasm. But seriously, how is the hair coming down? </span>
  </em>
  <span>She gave her reflection a smirk and looked at the Doctor in the mirror, "Could you be a gentleman and help a girl out with her hair." She batted her eyes a bit, never losing her pronounced southern accent, "Your ship decided that I didn't need to know how it's all staying in place."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Without a word, he walked up behind her and slowly reached for her chocolate brown locks. The Doctor's hands dived into her hair and started pulling certain sections out with a twist of his fingers. Small tinks were heard as metal pieces fell to the countertop.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla closed her eyes and sighed as sections of hair fell and weight that she did not know was bothering her dropped away. Getting lost in the feeling of skillful fingers at work, she hummed in content as more and more hair fell around her shoulders.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Once the Doctor left after helping her, Lyla changed into some ratty sweatpants and a t- shirt that she practically lived in for the last 9 months since she's been in this universe. She found her gifted backpack hanging in the closet and unpacked. The items had found themselves in all the proper places when she went looking for them. She found the wallet and psychic paper still in the backpack, but the Tardis blue journal was placed on a bedside table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She climbed onto the beautiful bed and sat crossed legged in the middle. She gave a big sigh then started asking the questions that have been bugging her since she was dumped in this universe. "Alright Sexy. It's just us now. Please tell me what these are." Lyla lifted her wrist from her lap as she questioned the Time Machine.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Tardis made the wolf-etched bracelet glow then projected images in Lyla's mind. She saw flashes of the steward on platform one and Gwyneth from Cardiff. As the images was shown to Lyla, the bracelet would heat to a noticeable heat. After those images passed, she showed an image of Ruffalo, the plumber on Platform one, and Mr. Sneed the undertaker from Cardiff. With each of these new images the bracelet stayed cool around her wrist. Lyla shook her head in astonishment and thought back on each of the times that her wrist burned and it always correlated to the people she couldn't save. "Right fixed points," she whispered as she stroked the wolf bracelet. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Well, that helps clear things up. No more wondering if I am going to cause reapers and make the universe go boom.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla slowly nodded her head, accepting the new information then turned her attention to the second bracelet. She ran her fingers over the circular gallifreyan and asked, "And this one. And how he hasn't noticed that it is Gallifreyan."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Tardis made the bracelet vibrate softly as she showed Lyla images of the Doctor. As he walked away the intensity of the vibrations increased and as he walked back the calmer the bracelet got. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You've got to be kidding me! </span>
  </em>
  <span>"You gave me a Doctor Tracker," Lyla laughed. "I hope this isn't an omen that I am going to lose him often."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla chuckled as she finally laid back on the bed and stared at her raised wrists in front of her. She slowly lowered her arms and asked fearfully the question that she wanted to know for 9 months, "Why me." Her voice barely audible as she continued, "I am nothing and nobody. Especially in this universe. I don't belong here." She turned on her side and hugged a pillow to her chest as she cried, "Why me?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Tardis hummed a soft song in her head and just kept supplying her pictures of the Doctor and herself as they interacted. "Stop," Lyla finally uttered on the tail end of a sob.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla finally calmed enough to fall asleep to the Tardis singing in her head.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>The next morning found Lyla shuffling into the kitchen as she rubbed her eyes. Her hair a tornado of tangled curls, one pant leg halfway up her calf, barefooted, and her oversized t-shirt hanging off one shoulder. Her nose helped her find her way to the smell of coffee. She failed to notice the other two occupants. Rose laughed behind her hand at her friend as she made a remarkable zombie this soon after waking up. The Doctor's face stretched into a soft small as he looked upon one of his newest and most jeopardy friendly companions.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After Lyla got her first sip of her sweet coffee; </span>
  <em>
    <span>hmm, sweet wake up juice,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she finally opened her eyes to look around her. She gave a startled jump when she saw the other two sitting at the little table in the corner. Rose finally lost control of her laughter and the Doctor gave a soft chuckle at the slowly pinking Lyla.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla, finally having enough at her expensive, rolled her eyes and huffed out a dismissive noise, "Whatever. It's too early to be a pleasant human being."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor remarked lightly, "Well, technically the Tardis doesn't have mornings or evening."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla spun and pointed her finger in his direction and grumbled, "Looky here Timelord, when a human wakes from an 8 hour sleep, it is morning. Weather that be at 6 in the evening, midnight or 4 in the morning. When they wake up it's morning."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose laughed, "Sorry Doctor, I should mention that she is a bear before her first two cups of coffee. Ignore her," Rose advised. "If she says anything truly mean she will apologize when she properly wakes."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla fell into the chair next to Rose and huffed out as she put her head down on the table, "Shush it Tyler." </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why does she have to be so loud?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose just patted Lyla's head and turned her attention to the Doctor and asked with an air of nervousness, "So, I was thinking that we could go home. I need to stop in and check in on mum. I did leave without saying goodbye."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor slowly nodded his head and replied, "Sure that's fine. Go and get ready. I'll wake grumpy here."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Watch it Timelord. I know your weakness," Lyla warned as she turned her head to give the stink eye at said Timelord.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose smiled a tongue and teeth smile as she hopped up and started toward the door to do as she was told. Lyla, who was still glaring at the Doctor, slowly drained her first cup of coffee. The Doctor turned his head from the door back to his curly haired companion. Noticing her look he sighed with a small smile and sat his large hand on her head and slowly massaged his fingers into her thick hair. Lyla froze for a couple of seconds and with a borderline pornographic moan she relaxed into a puddle of goo on the table. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I think I know his weakness, but I would be damned if he didn't find mine out.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He massaged her head for a couple of minutes before he reminded her, "You need to get up and get ready. I doubt you want to show up like you are," he teased with a playful pat to her head before he dragged his hand away. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Well at least he didn't tug my hair.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stood up and made his way to the door and teased over his shoulder, "Get up Lyla."</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Aliens of London</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>
  <b>Aliens of London</b>
</h1>
<p>Rose and Lyla stepped out of the Tardis to find that they were back at the Powell Estate. Rose looked around while Lyla leaned against the Tardis door beside the Doctor. "How long have we been gone?" Rose questioned.</p>
<p>"About 12 hours," the Doctor answered back with a smile.</p>
<p>Rose and the Doctor chuckled at the statement, but Lyla walked away from both of them with a smile and a wave thrown over her shoulder, she exclaimed, "See ya in a few hours I guess."</p>
<p>"Oi! Where are you going?" The Doctor questioned as he reached out quickly to grab her hand to pull her to a stop. <em> Clingy… Well, I have gotten hurt after leaving him or helping him so I guess I can see why. </em></p>
<p>"I have my own apartment to handle Doctor," she told him and a realization flashed in his eyes as he released her wrist, "I'll be back in a couple of hours." She turned back the way her apartment was and shouted over her shoulder, "Don't get into trouble you two!"</p>
<p>Lyla rounded the corner before she saw the missing person flyers for Rose. She took off at a run to her apartment building and hoped that the landlady did what she promised she would do.</p>
<p>She stopped running as she reached her building and made the climb up to her floor. She stuck her key into the lock and flung open the door. The first thing she noticed was the musty stale air, then the pile of mail on her kitchen table, finally she noticed a couple of house plants that she didn't have before she got on the Tardis sitting in her window and on her end table by the couch. <em> Thank you, Mrs. Brown! You will be getting some cool random piece of alien art or trinket next time we stop at a bazaar. </em>She flipped through her mail and deemed the important things access to her bigger on the inside backpack, and the junk was thrown into her trash. She looked around her living space and decided on a quick shower before she was whisked away on their next adventure.</p>
<p>As she stood in front of her bathroom mirror, freshly showered and towel dried her hair, she wondered if she would have time after Downing Street to get the next installment on her tattoo. She turned in the mirror and scrutinized the many pieces of art that adorned her body.</p>
<p>She had angel wings on her back, that she finished when she was still in her teens. They looked almost fluffy, soft to the touch, and done in black and grey shading. They reached from top of the shoulder to the dimples on her lower back.</p>
<p>Her next big tattoo was a phoenix on her right forearm. The bird was done in blues, greens, orange, reds, and yellows. The tips of the feathers transitioned into the lightest part of the flame while the blue was stationed closer to the center of the body on the wings.</p>
<p>On her other arm was a simple infinity sign with strength written in the center along with a cross adorning the edge of the right loop of the infinity. There was also a bible verse on her ribs on the same side of her body as the infinity symbol. The verse was from the book of Proverbs 31:25. Both done in black ink.</p>
<p>She had another bible verse on the outside of her right thigh. This one being from her granddads obituary and was from the book of Psalms 23. This was the tattoo she wanted to add to. She wanted the grim reaper done in black and grey shading situated on top of her thigh. She wanted the whole nine yards too; the crow, hood, scythe, and watch. <em> Symbolic, I think. Even though I have death close to me I will still fear no evil and all that jazz. </em>She sighed and shrugged as she thought of the possibility of a new tattoo.</p>
<p>She went to her closet and pulled out an old worn black off the shoulder long sleeve sweater with a pair of dark wash jeans and her lavender low-rise converses. <em> Cute but functional for running away from the Slitheen. </em></p>
<p>As she pulled on her clothes the phone rang within the depths of her backpack. Hair still in a towel, she reached armpit deep in her backpack searching for the ringing device. Once she wrapped her fingers around it, she gave a noise of triumph and pulled it free before flicking it open and placing it under the edge of the towel and ear. She spoke with a huff as her towel began to slip out of its twist, "Yeah?"</p>
<p>"It wasn't 12 hours. It's been a year," Rose sighed dismayed over the phone.</p>
<p>Lyla rolled her eyes as she fixed her hair in the mirror only having paid little attention to Rose, "I noticed. You should have seen the mail that was on my table. My landlady was nice enough to place it there after she noticed I was no longer picking it up."</p>
<p>"Well, that's nice. My mom filed a missing person report, and we are now waiting for a copper to show up. My mom is fuming," Rose confided.</p>
<p>Lyla laughed out loud as she held the phone with her ear and shoulder now, both hands needing to be used for her massive amounts of hair, "I can imagine her face. I bet you 10 quid that she slaps him."</p>
<p>"I'll take that bet. I don't think she'll do that with a copper here."</p>
<p>"Oh, I don't know. She'd do a lot for you." Lyla huffed irritated down the line.</p>
<p>"What are you doing? Wait," Rose took the phone away from her ear as she addressed someone on the other end, "Doctor wants to talk to you." There was a commotion on the other end while Lyla waited for the phone to be passed off.</p>
<p>Once the phone switched hands, Lyla interrupted whatever the Doctor was about to say, "You were a whole year off. You really need to read the manual for that ship of yours."</p>
<p>"I don't have the manual anymore. Threw it in a supernova," he stated with a huff, that held faint embarrassment, down the line.</p>
<p>"Well, that was stupid. Just like my uncooperative hair at the present moment," she moaned in despair as her unrulily locks failed to cooperate.</p>
<p>"Must we talk about your hair? Don't answer that. Shut up for a minute and listen. I need you to come over here and help us out. I don't do domestics," He requested and demanded in a rush.</p>
<p>"No can-do sweetness," she laughed, "You are on your own. Plus, I've got money on you being slapped. So, in the interest of me winning, I'm staying out of it." She gave her reflection a final once over and deemed it the best that she was going to achieve. "See you in a bit Doctor," was her parting message as she snapped her phone closed.</p>
<p>She cleaned up the bathroom, and what little needed to be done in the other rooms as well before she locked up and made her way down to see the landlady.</p>
<p>Later, she was knocking on a familiar door. A minute later, the door swung open and revealed the hunched figure of Mrs. Brown. When the older lady saw who was standing at her door, she gave a large smile and immediately pulled the younger girl into a bone crushing hug that only grandmas can achieve.</p>
<p>"Lyla! My darling! How was traveling?" She questioned, finally releasing Lyla.</p>
<p>Lyla gave a laugh, "It was amazing! I wish I could show you, but we didn't have a camera at the time."</p>
<p>"Oh, that's quite alright dearie. If you had fun that is all that matters," Mrs. Brown said with a gentle pat of the arm.</p>
<p>Lyla remembered the plants that were left and quickly thanked her again, "I just wanted to come down here and thank you for the plants and for watching my place while I was traveling."</p>
<p>Mrs. Brown shook her head, "Don't you worry Deary." She reached over and patted Lyla's arm as she continued, "I have a green thumb and figure you would like to see something green in your place when you finally arrived back. My husband always tells me I have too many anyway." She gave a final pat and pulled her hand away and questioned, "Enough about me, how long are you in for?"</p>
<p>"Just a couple days, I'm afraid," Lyla answered with a small smile, "But I will be back in a couple of months. Probably sooner, most likely."</p>
<p>"That's ok dear!" Mrs. Brown reassured the younger women, "You are young so don't be afraid to live your life. This boring place will still be here when you return"</p>
<p>Lyla pulled the older lady in for a hug before she said, "Thank you for being amazing! I'll see you in a couple of months. We'll have drinks okay." She pulled her Landlady in for one more hug before she made her way to the Powell Estate.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Lyla made her way up the stairs to Rose's apartment but when she stepped in and looked around the flat, she noticed that neither the Doctor nor Rose were present. So, she made her way to the roof. Once she pushed open the door, it took her a minute to find the other two but when she did, she gracelessly flopped down on the left of the Doctor. Lyla saw the reddened cheek that the Doctor wore, and her face split into a massive, pleased smile. They looked over at Lyla to see that she sported a huge grin. She looked to Rose as she announced smugly, "You owe me 10 quid."</p>
<p>Rose laughed as she shook her head, "You should've seen his face Lyla."</p>
<p>"Nine hundred years of time and space, and I've never been slapped by someone's mother," he explained as he rubbed his cheek.</p>
<p>"That's hilarious!" Lyla exclaimed as she leaned against the Doctor.</p>
<p>Once everyone calmed again Rose asked the Doctor, "When you say nine hundred years?"</p>
<p>"That's my age," he answered with a serious look in his eyes as he gazed at Rose.</p>
<p>"You're nine hundred years old." She clarified in mild disbelief.</p>
<p>"Yeah," he confirmed.</p>
<p>"My mum was right. That is one hell of an age gap," She huffed and jumped up from her seated position but continued to ramble, "Every conversation with you just goes mental. There's no one else I can talk to except Lyla and she is experiencing it at the same time too." She sighed and looked out over the estate, "I've seen all that stuff up there, the size of it, and I can't say a word. Aliens and spaceships and things, and us two are the only people on planet Earth who knows they exist."</p>
<p>A horn blared behind them and they turned around to see a spaceship that was billowing black smoke and flying close to the roofs of the estate and surrounding buildings. The Doctor pulled Lyla from her seated position by her hips, and they both crouched to avoid the low flying ship. As it passed over their heads, they watched it bob and weave through London avoiding different notable structures like the Tower Bridge and St. Paul. They watched as a plume of black smoke rose in the air about where Big Ben stood. Rose stared in disbelief at the crashed ship. Lyla laughed uncontrollably while the Doctor produced a large face changing smile. <em> And it begins. </em></p>
<p>Rose sighed unbelievingly, "Oh, that's just not fair."</p>
<p>The Doctor pulled the still laughing Lyla up and grabbed Rose's hand as he pulled the two toward the stairs. Lyla pulled him to a stop. Laughter in her voice still, she questioned him, "Where do you think you're going?"</p>
<p>"To see it! This is history in the making. This is why I travel! To see history happening right in front of us," he exclaimed as he resumed pulling the girls down the stairs.</p>
<p>"Doctor, it's gonna be gridlocked and by the time we get there the military will have all the interesting bits blocked off." Lyla reasoned.</p>
<p>Rose interjected, "We could always do what everybody else does." At the Doctor's confused look and drawn eyebrows she continued, "We could watch it on TV."</p>
<p>The Doctor paused and looked back at the two girls with lowered confused eyebrows and lines between his brows. As they made their way to Rose's flat, Rose asked the Timelord, "Did you know this was going to happen?"</p>
<p>"Nope," he answered.</p>
<p>"Do you recognize the ship?" She asked again.</p>
<p>"Nope," he repeated with a pop of the 'p' and a smile forming on his lips.</p>
<p>"Do you know why it crashed?" She tried one last question.</p>
<p>"Nope," he laughed at her put out expression.</p>
<p>"Oh, I'm so glad I've got you," Rose muttered as they walked into her flat. The doctor took over the TV and started flipping channels to see which were broadcasting the crash landing first. He flipped channels every couple of minutes causing Lyla to groan in annoyance at the wishy-washy channel surfing. Rose was busy explaining the situation to her mother who instantly reached for the phone and started calling up her friends to gossip.</p>
<hr/>
<p>A short time later, the flat was slowly filling with people as Jackie invited everyone over for the alien watch party, or that was her excuse. <em> Anything for a party and to gossip about something. </em>Lyla was sitting on the floor in front of the Doctor. She was reclined back leaning on one of his legs and head resting on one of his thighs as he stared intensely at the news broadcast. He absent-mindedly played with a flyaway chocolate curl of Lyla's as he flipped channels from an American station and back to local British news. She sighed in contentment as she relaxed further into his leg. As she relaxed, her thoughts were a jumbled mess. Trying to bring some order to her mind she reviewed the current episode and attempted to come up with a game plan.</p>
<p><em> Ok, in a bit the Doctor is gonna get claustrophobic with all the domestic hoopla happening around him. Pig. The pig comes after. Can I save the pig? Do I need to? Well depends on if I go with him. What do I miss here if I do? Um, fuck Lyla think. You love this episode. Oh yeah, Mickey starts bitching about the murder suspect thing. So, nothing much really. Ok, what's next. Downing street. Fuck can I save the experts? </em> Just as that thought entered her mind her wolf bracelet warmed to a noticeable heat. She stared down at it and let out a body shuddering sigh. <em> Guess not then. Fuck this is hard. Don't think about it. What happens while that is going on. Rose meets Harriet. Indra… Can I save him? </em> When she felt no heat come from her now cold bracelet, her face split into a large smile and she relaxed minutely again. <em> Yes! OK, operation save Indra is a go! What's next, What's next, What's next. Running. Then the control room. Mickey and Jackie with the Slitheen. Vinegar. Jackie and Rose arguing. Missile. Closet. Boom. Then back home to the Tardis. OK, somewhat of a plan. </em></p>
<p>Lyla tuned back into the present to watch as the tv flicked to a cooking show that was ironically about spaceships. She looked over and saw the small boy smiling. She laughed as she watched the Doctor wrestle the remote away from the toddler. He pulled the small boy into his lap and finally liberated the remote to switch it back to the news. The boy huffed and got up from the Doctors lap to stand in front of the tv. Before the Doctor could say anything, Lyla reached out to the child and pulled him into her lap with a gentle, "Come here, sweetheart. Let me tell you a story."</p>
<p>Once the boy was settled Lyla launched into the first adventure with the Doctor on platform one. She added lots of embellishments and tickles when she started to lose the toddlers attention. Just as she finished her tale, she let the little guy wander back to his parents. She leaned back on the Doctor; he gave her hair a tug to grab her attention. When she finally looked up at him with a questioning look, he gave a light smile but with sad old eyes as he commented, "You're good with kids."</p>
<p>"Thanks, I had a big family," she said with her head still tilted back to look at him. She faced forward again with a sad smile and listened to the commotion around her waiting for the inevitable.</p>
<p>With a heavy annoyed sigh, the Doctor slowly stood trying to avoid the glances of unwanted company and the unavoidable questions. Lyla watched as he headed for the door and slowly snuck out. She stood and caught the eyes of Rose, who saw the same thing as her. They made their way to the door quickly before he swanned off. As they walked out Rose spoke up, "And where do you think you're going?"</p>
<p>He turned with innocent eyes and replied, "Nowhere. It's just a bit human in there for me. History just happened and they're talking about where you can buy dodgy top-up cards for half price. I'm off on a wander, that's all."</p>
<p>"Right. There's a spaceship on the Thames and you're just wandering," Rose questioned with an air of sarcasm attached.</p>
<p>"Nothing to do with me. It's not an invasion. That was a genuine crash landing. Angle of descent, color of smoke, everything. It's perfect," he tried to reason.</p>
<p>"Don't count your cards yet Doctor," Lyla finally spoke with a smile as she leaned against the wall of the building. He gave her an assessing look before Rose grabbed his attention again.</p>
<p>Rose interjected, "So-."</p>
<p>She was interrupted by the Doctor furthering his reasoning, "So maybe this is it. First contact. The day mankind officially encounters an alien race. I'm not interfering because you've got to handle this on your own. That's when humanity finally grows up. Just this morning you were all tiny and small and made of clay. Now you can expand," he laughed. "You don't need me. Go and celebrate history. Spend some time with your mum," he said as he pushed Rose back to the front door of her flat.</p>
<p>Rose faltered and quickly said before he could wander off, "Promise you won't disappear."</p>
<p>He smiled and searched his pockets before pulling out a key and handing it to Rose, "Tell you what. Tardis key. It's about time you had one. See you later." He turned and walked down the hallway toward the stairs. <em> What, no key for me? That's rude. </em> Rose looked down at the key with a shocked but happy look as she finally pocketed the key and turned toward Lyla.</p>
<p>"Are you coming back in," Rose asked the Texan.</p>
<p>Lyla sighed and shook her head, "I think one of us should go with him. Seeing as I don't have a family that would worry about me, I'll go and keep an eye on him." She pushed off the wall and walked down the hallway and took off at a sprint when she hit the stairs to catch up with the fleeing, overly curious Doctor.</p>
<p>She caught up to him just as he was unlocking the door and gave an out of breath laugh, "You didn't think that you could leave without me, did you?"</p>
<p>He gave her a soft smile as he turned to push open the door. He stepped aside to allow her entrance first as he finally replied, "Just waiting on you to catch up."</p>
<hr/>
<p>Once they both entered, he ran up the ramp and started flicking switches and turning dials. He came to a stop in front of the monitor as he turned another device and concentrated on what was running across the monitor. Lyla spoke up still standing at the closed door, "Where are we going?"</p>
<p>"Albion Hospital. We're gonna go check out that alien," he declared, his focus never leaving the monitor. He looked around in a panic and started walking around the console and flipping large breakers and levers. He reached under the console and pulled out a mallet and started banging on a circuit board. With sparks flying, the column started moving up and down as the whole console started to smoke from the Doctors rough handling. As the time rotor gained speed, he kissed his rubber mallet as his face split into a wide smile.</p>
<p>A couple seconds later, the Tardis landed with a slight bump. The Doctor made his way toward the waiting woman who was still by the doors. He grabbed her hand and pulled the door open only to find that they had landed in a storage closet and a rack full of boxes that partially blocked his way. He maneuvered out of the door pulling the Lyla behind him. She turned back and pulled the door close as he weaved toward the storage room door. She stepped up behind him just in time to hear him shush his sonic as he used it to unlock the door.</p>
<p>They stepped out and a full 5 seconds passed before the army finally pulled out their weapons and aimed them at the two intruders. The Doctor was quick to push Lyla behind him and moments later they heard a scream from down the corridor. The Doctor was quick to grab his companions' hand and shout out orders to the soldiers, "Defense plan Delta! Come on." He rushed toward the door with Lyla trailing after him, "Move! Move!" They ran down the hallway toward the scream with the Doctor and Lyla leading the soldiers.</p>
<p>They blew through the doors of the mortuary to see one of the cold lockers torn open. The Doctor turned and started to look for the terrified women. They found her cowering behind a table with a gun pointed toward the cold lockers. She babbled as her hands shook, "It's alive."</p>
<p>"Spread out. Tell the perimeter it's a lockdown," the Doctor commanded the soldiers.</p>
<p>But before the soldiers rushed off to do what they were told to do, Lyla spoke in a commanding voice as she threatened the soldiers, "If any of you fire your weapon, I will have your nuts in a vice." The soldiers, looking scared of the angry American, scampered off.</p>
<p>Sato kept mumbling to herself as the soldiers checked the hospital, "My god. It's still alive."</p>
<p>The Doctor rushed toward the downed ME and started questioning her as he held her hands in comfort, "Coma, shock, hibernation, anything. What does it look like?" Before the ME could answer, they all heard metal falling to the floor. He looked around before standing and whispering, "It's still here." They slowly fanned out and moved cautiously toward the sound. The Doctor rounded a cabinet and looked upon a pig. He gave a brief and harmless "Hello." But just as the last syllable left his lips the pig squealed and took off running. The Doctor fired out a loud, "Don't shoot!" He followed the pig as the animal ran down the hallway and into a mass of soldiers. One scared looking soldier fired and shot the pig just as Lyla and the Doctor rounded the corner.</p>
<p>"What. The. Fuck. Did. I. Say." Lyla spoke through her teeth as she advanced on the soldier. He backed away quickly letting his gun fall to his side and raised his hands in defense. Her arm shot out before the soldier could deflect or even think about moving away from the oncoming fist. He gave a grunt as Lyla's fist connected and broke the man's nose with a snap.</p>
<p>The Doctor spoke up from behind Lyla as he bent down to look at the pig, "What did you do that for? It was scared! It was scared." He stroked down its snout and the pig gave a final grunt before falling silent.</p>
<p>Lyla was standing off to the side with a murderess glare aimed at the soldiers. Her hand, that she used to break the nose of the Neanderthal, shook as she kept opening and closing her fist. She growled out as she glared at the other soldiers waiting for one to oppose her commands, "Get a gurney and get him back to the ME." When no one moved she took a slow step forward and gave a harsh order, "NOW." They jumped and took off to gather the alien and take him back to the ME.</p>
<p>Once the pig was stationed back on the examination table Sato spoke up in a quiet voice as she clutched her clipboard to her chest, "I just assumed that's what aliens look like, but you're saying it's an ordinary pig from Earth."</p>
<p>"More like a mermaid. Victorian showmen used to draw the crowds by taking the skull of a cat, gluing it to a fish and calling it a mermaid. Now someone's taken a pig, opened its brain, stuck bits on, then they've strapped it in that ship and made it dive bomb. It must've been terrified. They've taken this animal and turned it into a joke," the Doctor explained to the ME. His arms were crossed over his chest as she put some of the puzzle pieces together.</p>
<p>"So, it's a fake, a pretend, like the mermaid. But the technology augmenting its brain, it's like nothing on Earth. It's alien. Aliens are faking aliens," As the female doctor was coming to the conclusions, the Time Lord pulled Lyla out of the room and back to the Tardis. They could just faintly hear Sato continue talking not realizing her audience was gone. "But why would they do that? Doctor?"</p>
<hr/>
<p>Once back on the Tardis, the Doctor quickly put them into the vortex and pulled Lyla down the hall and entered the first door on their right. He steered her toward the bed and she just jumped up on it. He mumbled, "You are becoming my most jeopardy friendly companion."</p>
<p>"I swear you cursed us to always end up here at some point during an adventure, but I do have to admit that this time it was all my doing. I don't go looking for trouble normally," Lyla replied through a small smile. She watched as he made his way to a heap of metal do-dads.</p>
<p>"But it seems to find you anyway," he said distracted as he pawed through the pile of devices. He made a sound of triumph as he pulled out a small scanner from the pile. "I'm gonna have to start carrying a complete med kit just for you." He walked back over to her and held out his hand and waited for her to relinquish it into his grasp.</p>
<p>"Well, you are a Doctor. I'm surprised you don't already," she sighed and gently placed her injured hand into his waiting one.</p>
<p>Once she did, he ran the device over the back of her hand. With a few beeps and a purple light that beamed out of the bottom, he released her hand and looked over the results.</p>
<p>"I've never had this much need for one," he mumbled as he picked her hand up again and started twisting and turning the wrist and pulling and playing with the fingers. "Everything is fine now. Just a small fracture in one of the knuckles."</p>
<p>"Thanks," she looked down at her hand and opened and closed it a couple times for experiment purposes before nodding and jumping off the bed. He took her hand and pulled her back toward the console room.</p>
<p>When they walked back into the main room, Lyla made her way to the Captain's chair and flopped down. The Doctor started rushing about flying the Tardis back to the Powell Estate. Once they landed, the door flew open to reveal Rose with Mickey and Jackie quickly following her in. Lyla reclined back and got lost in her thoughts as the world moved around her.</p>
<p>
  <em> OK, so I couldn't save the pig. It felt so good to punch that guy though. Haven't done that in a while, the last person being the Master. We get escorted to Downing street in a bit. I can't save the specialist, but I can save Indra, and I get to meet Harriet Jones. </em>
</p>
<p>She was pulled from her thoughts by the Doctor tugging on her hand to pull her to the grates on the floor as he pulled up a section of the flooring to reveal a crawl space and exposed wires. He started messing with wires and splicing them together and taking some apart. Lyla sat in front of him and had her feet dangling down the hole. She was lightly tapping the Doctors' thigh with her foot that was swinging back and forth between his legs as she watched him work. Mickey came over and peered at the two with a question forming before his mind could catch up with him, "So, what're you doing down there?"</p>
<p>The distracted Doctor mumbled around the Sonic that was in his mouth, "Ricky."</p>
<p>"Mickey," The said man huffed.</p>
<p>Lyla reached down and pulled the sonic from the Time Lords mouth so he could still talk and mess with the wires, "Ricky," he rolled his eyes and Lyla gave him a rougher kick to the thigh with her heel, but he continued without pause, "If I were to tell you what I was doing to the controls of my frankly magnificent time ship, would you even begin to understand?"</p>
<p>"I suppose not-"</p>
<p>The Doctor interrupted with a rude, "Well, shut it, then."</p>
<p>Lyla whispered, "Rude," to him as she shoved the sonic back into his mouth. He grumbled and gave her the stink eye but went back to his work. Lyla watched as Mickey huffed and wandered off toward Rose. She kept swinging her feet as she looked back at the Doctor. He would pull the sonic from his mouth occasionally, to finish splicing wires and turning off some. A fair bit of smoke rose from the sonic as he continued with his messing. Lyla started humming a song as she watched, beating out the beat against the Doctors thigh with her feet.</p>
<p>He grabbed her ankle just as she was coming down for another tap. Lyla looked up and met his eyes to see that he was slowly sitting up. She pulled her legs out of the hole in the floor and stood up. Lyla leaned back against the console as she watched him push himself out of the hole. He rushed back to the monitor as he proclaimed, "Got it! Ha, ha! Patched in the radar, looped it back twelve hours so we can follow the flight of that spaceship. Here we go. Hold on. Come on." The monitor beep and started playing the radar feed of the crashing spaceship. "That's the spaceship on its way to Earth, see? Except. Hold on. See? The spaceship did a sling shot round the Earth before it landed."</p>
<p>Rose asked confused as she watched the screen, "What does that mean?"</p>
<p>"It means it came from Earth in the first place. It went up and came back down. Whoever those aliens are, they haven't just arrived, they've been here for a while. The question is, what have they been doing?" He asked as he stood up straight and crossed his arms to think.</p>
<p>Lyla huffed, "Making a mermaid. Obviously." At the confused looks from Mickey and Rose, Lyla explained about the pig in the spacesuit at the hospital.</p>
<p>The Doctor leaned over again and started flipping through news stations on the screen, distracting everyone until Mickey spoke up, "How many channels do you get?"</p>
<p>"All the basic packages," the Doctor said as he stood up straight again.</p>
<p>"You get sports channels?" Mickey wondered.</p>
<p>The Doctor rolled his eyes and said condescendingly to Mickey, "Yes, I get the football." He focused back on the screen as they watched a group of people in military uniforms get out of some cars, the Doctor said, "Hold on, I know that lot."</p>
<p>They listened as the news women explained who the Doctor recognized but it was the Timelord that put a name to the group of people, "UNIT. United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. Good people."</p>
<p>"How do you know them?" Rose asked.</p>
<p>Mickey answered for the Doctor, "'Cos he's worked for them. Oh yeah, don't think I sat on my backside for twelve months, Doctor. I read up on you. You look deep enough on the Internet or in the history books, and there's his name, followed by a list of the dead," he sneered at the alien.</p>
<p>The Doctor answered his sneer with a sarcastic smile, "That's nice. Good boy, Ricky."</p>
<p>Rose having ignored Mickey asked the Doctor as she stared at the screen, "If you know them, why don't you go and help?"</p>
<p>The screen blinked out and the Doctor started flicking switches on the console as he explained, "They wouldn't recognize me. I've changed a lot since the old days. Besides, the worlds on a knife-edge. There're aliens out there and fake aliens. We want to keep this alien," he gestured to himself, "out of the mix. I'm going undercover." The Tardis gave a ding that reminded Lyla of a hotel service bell, but the Doctor continued to talk, "And er, I'd better keep the Tardis out of sight. Ricky," he patted Mickey on the shoulder as he passed, "you've got a car. You can do some driving." He walked to the doors with the other occupants following close behind. "The roads are clearing. Let's go and have a look at that spaceship," were his last words before his opened the Tardis doors.</p>
<p>They stepped out to the sound of helicopter blades slicing through the air and a spotlight shining in their face. They heard the police shouting over the intercom, "Do not move! Step away from the box and raise your hands above your heads."</p>
<p>Sirens wailed around them as cop cars flooded the place with red and blues flashing. Military personnel stormed the place with guns attached to their hands and combat gear on. Mickey took off running down an alley with a couple of officers running after him. K9 dogs barked and growled trying to break from their handlers. They heard Jackie scream Rose's name but was detained by some soldiers as she was running at the three that were left standing in the spotlight.</p>
<p>Lyla raised her hands slowly as she whispered, "Don't say it."</p>
<p>The Doctor looked back at her but was distracted by the police coming back on the intercom, "Raise your hands above your head. You are under arrest."</p>
<p>All around them the soldiers were taking up defensive positions with guns trained on the three. Rose and the Doctor slowly raised their hands and the Doctor spoke up, "Take me to your leader."</p>
<p>Lyla sighed, "And you fucking said it."</p>
<hr/>
<p>The police escorted them to a waiting car and ushered them in. The Doctor slid in first followed by Rose taking the middle and Lyla against the door. Once settled the car took off and Rose looked around at the treatment, "This is a bit posh. If I knew it was going to be like this, being arrested, I would have done it years ago."</p>
<p>Lyla laughed, "Being arrested is nowhere near this fun or posh."</p>
<p>"And how would you know." The Doctor gave her the eye.</p>
<p>Lyla smiled and winked as she replied off handedly, "Arrested when I was 19. Hush now and tell us where we're going."</p>
<p>"Downing Street," he smiled and laughed loudly at Rose's shocked look.</p>
<p>"You're kidding."</p>
<p>"I'm not."</p>
<p>"10 Downing Street," Rose wanted confirmation.</p>
<p>"Yep," he popped the 'p'.</p>
<p>Rose laughed in joy and disbelief, "Oh, my God. I'm going to 10 Downing Street. How come?" Lyla laughed along with her as she watched the excitement cross her face.</p>
<p>"I hate to say it, but Mickey was right. Over the years I've visited this planet a lot of times, and I've been, er, noticed," the Doctor explained.</p>
<p>"Now they need you?" Rose asked.</p>
<p>"Like it said on the news. They're gathering experts in alien knowledge. And who's the biggest expert of the lot?" he questioned her with a smile.</p>
<p>Rose gave him a tongue and cheek smile as she replied, "Oh, don't you just love it."</p>
<p>"I'm telling you. Lloyd George, he used to drink me under the table. Who's the Prime Minister now?" the Doctor questioned with a fond smile.</p>
<p>"How should I know? I missed a year." Rose answered with a smile of her own.</p>
<p>Lyla finally interjected into the two's conversation, "So Downing Street is like the White House, right?"</p>
<p>"Kinda, the current prime minister resides there and that's where the cabinet rooms are as well." The Doctor explained.</p>
<p>"So essentially like the White House but not." Lyla confirmed with a half-smile and laughter leaking through her words.</p>
<p>The car pulled in front of 10 Downing Street. News stations and paparazzi cameras flashed in a blazing work of lights and shouted questions as the door opened. Lyla shuffled out as Rose followed with a quiet, "Oh, my God," escaping her lips. The Doctor was quick to get out next and started waving and posing for some of the flashing cameras, to Lyla's chagrin.</p>
<p>The three made their way inside and were escorted again to a room full of the alien experts from earlier and some of the Slitheen. Lyla watched as Harriet Jones made her way into the room. She chuckled quietly as she saw the flash of the infamous badge come out.</p>
<p>"Ladies and gentlemen, can we convene? Quick as we can, please. It's this way on the right, and can I remind you ID cards are to be worn at all times," Indra commanded as he walked into the room. He made his way over to the Doctor and his two companions. He handed the Doctor his badge, "Here's your ID card. I'm sorry, your companions don't have clearance."</p>
<p>The Doctor looped the badge around his neck while he replied, "I don't go anywhere without them."</p>
<p>"You're the code nine, not the girls. I'm sorry, Doctor. It is the Doctor, isn't it? They'll have to stay outside," Indra answered.</p>
<p>Lyla watched as Harriet made her way closer to the group but still held back from interrupting yet. She vaguely heard the Doctor refuse to go anywhere without us again to just be reprimanded by the secretary again. "Look, even I don't have clearance to go in there. I can't let them in and that's a fact."</p>
<p>Lyla interrupted the Doctors next comment with a quiet but firm, "Let it go Doctor. He's just doing his job."</p>
<p>Harriet finally made her appearance as she stepped in and posed a question to the Doctor, "Excuse me. Are you the Doctor?"</p>
<p>Indra gave an aggravated sigh, "Not now. We're busy. Can't you go home?"</p>
<p>"I just need a word, in private," Harriet tried to explain.</p>
<p>Lyla watched as the Doctor left with a pang in her heart at the deaths that would occur in a couple of minutes. Deaths that she couldn't stop. Deaths that would haunt her for a couple of weeks after this. She looked back at Indra with renewed vigor in saving his life.</p>
<p>"You haven't got clearance. Now leave it," Indra said in a finalized manner before turning to Rose and Lyla, "I'm going to have to leave you two with security."</p>
<p>"It's all right. I'll look after them. Let me be of some use." Harriet looped one arm with Rose's and the other with Lyla's as she pulled them away from Indra. She whispered as she walked, her steps getting faster the further away they got from the others, "Walk with me. Just keep walking." They reached the door and she commanded in a fearful voice and strained smile, "That's right. Don't look round." She flashed us her badge with the familiar phrase, "Harriet Jones, MP Flydale North." She put her badge away again but continued her questioning as her voice wobbled over her next words, "This friend of yours, he's an expert, is that right? He knows about aliens?"</p>
<p>Rose asked cautiously, "Why do you want to know."</p>
<p>Harriet broke down crying, in shuddering breaths as she tried to explain but gave up in a failed attempt. She then decided to lead the girls to the skin for proof of what she had witnessed earlier in the day.</p>
<p>She laid the body on the table as she talked, "They turned the body into a suit. A disguise for the thing inside." By the time she was done explaining what she had seen she started crying again.</p>
<p>Rose, always the more compassionate one, comforted Harriet, "It's alright. I believe you. It's… it's alien." She went off around the room hitting and opening compartments as she talked, "They must have some serious technology behind this. If we could find it, we could use it." She opened a cupboard and a balding man fell out onto the floor. "Oh, my God! Is that the-."</p>
<p>She was cut off by Indra walking into the room, "Harriet, for God's sake. This has gone beyond a joke. You cannot just wander…" He finally saw the body lying on the floor and gasped, "Oh, my God. That's the Prime Minister!"</p>
<p>Lyla, knowing that operation save Indra was quickly approaching, stood close to Indra. Her body tensing in preparation for the upcoming lifesaving and running portion of this adventure.</p>
<p>"Oh," the four turned to the newcomer, "Has someone been naughty?"</p>
<p>Margaret walked into the cabinet room. As she slammed the door shut behind her, Lyla pulled Indra back toward Rose and Harriet. As she was pulling, he gave little resistance, but his mouth continued, "That's impossible. He left this afternoon. The Prime Minister left Downing Street. He was driven away!"</p>
<p>Margaret advanced on the small huddle of people as she talked, "And who told you that, hmm? Me." She reached up to her hair line and started pulling the zipper found there. Blue light flooded the room and the four humans watched in horror as the skin suit started slipping down her hulking figure.</p>
<p>While the unmasking was happening, Lyla pulled Indra further away and pushed him behind Rose and Harriet. Lyla stayed upfront and consequently being the closest to Margaret.</p>
<p>When Margaret stood tall in all her green glory, Lyla quickly spotted the difference between real life and TV make up and CGI. The creature was shining with a thin layer of moisture from being inside a skin suit. The eyes would put any close-up shots of fly eyes to shame in the creepiness. Her claws gave a dull shine when they caught the light from being so sharp. The size of them was nothing to smile about either. The creature easily reached nine feet tall. The size of them was staggering especially when you got the faint whiff of bad breath and the odd clinking noises that she made. The creature could be featured in the realm of nightmares and horror stories.</p>
<p>Once Margaret stood tall, she lunged with her claws toward Lyla. She quickly dodged the attack and ducked and scooted backward. Adrenaline flooded her system as she picked up a chair and heaved it over her head to bring it down on Margaret's back. She wasn't quite lucky enough to dodge the next swipe of claws as they swept low and slashed across her stomach. She felt white hot pain but ignored it to the best of her abilities as she quickly backed away from the quickly recovering Slitheen. <em> Any day now Doctor. </em></p>
<p>Just as Margaret raised her claw again, she was consumed in a blast of electricity that arched around her.</p>
<p>Lyla blindly reached back and grabbed the closest hand, which ended up being Indra, and began pulling them toward the door.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry (not sorry) for the Cliff hanger!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. World War III</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>
  <b>World War III</b>
</h1>
<p>
  <span>The four made their way out of the cabinet room and ran down some hallways before Harriet pulled everyone to a stop, "No, wait. They're still in there. The emergency protocols. We need them." She took off back the way we came to only turn around quickly with a scream as Margaret chased after the four.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They weaved in and out of doors, corridors, and rooms. Trying to shake their tail only for the Slitheen to catch up with them with their freakishly long legs and crouching manner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They came to a door that finally would not open. They tugged and rammed into the door trying to escape the clutches of Margaret. They heard the elevator door open and the Doctor gave a cheery, "Hello." Before the buzzing of the Sonic was cut off from the closing doors of the elevator, Indra tugged the girls off down another hallway and into another room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hide!" Rose whisper yelled. She made her way to behind the desk while Harriet and Indra hid behind a paper screen. Lyla hid herself behind the curtains and tried to even her breathing and placed a hand over her open and bleeding wound on her stomach.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They heard Margaret enter the room with her creepy clicking noise. She began to speak in a high pitched overly animated voice. It cracked and somehow sounded like static was being played in the background as she talked, "Oh, such fun. Little human children, where are you? Sweet little human kins, come to me." Rose leapt up and hid beside Lyla behind the curtains. "Let me kiss you better. Kiss you with my big, green lips. My brothers."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They heard more clicking when one spoke up, "Happy hunting?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Margaret answered, her voice going up an octave in her excitement, "It's wonderful. The more you prolong it, the more they stink."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Sweat and fear," one of the brothers said. It was hard to distinguish which for Lyla. "I can smell an old girl. Stale bird and brittle bones."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Margaret joined in, "And ripe youngsters, all hormones and adrenaline. Fresh enough to bend before they snap." They heard her take in a deep breathe closer to Lyla and Rose then what they were comfortable with. "And an injured one. Her blood taints the air." She rips the curtain open to the twin screams from Rose and Lyla.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Harriet rushes out from behind the screen, "No! Take me first! Take me!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The door flies open to reveal the Doctor with a fire extinguisher in his hands. He released the safety and sprayed the aliens. "Out, with me!" he yelled at the four humans.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla looked at a Rose to find that she was already looking at Lyla. Lyla nodded and they both grabbed the curtain and gave it a fierce tug to bring it down and over Margaret. The four ended up behind the Doctor as he continued spraying the aliens. He looked at the two newcomers and asked, "Who the hell are you two?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Harriet, without fail, held up her badge and recited, "Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Indra squeaked out, "Indra Ganesh."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Nice to meet you two," the Doctor said with a smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Enough flirting. More Running," Lyla hissed as she pulled Rose toward the door with the others following her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once in the hall again the Doctor spoke up and took the lead with navigating the maze of hallways, "We need to head to the Cabinet Room."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"The Emergency Protocols are in there. They give instructions for aliens," Harriet commented as they ran.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Harriet Jones, I like you." The Doctor yelled behind him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And I like you too." Harriet, always the polite person, commented back to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And I would like not to die today so shut up the both of you." Lyla snapped. The pain getting to her and shortening her patience.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They ran down the hallways until they got to a locked door that the Doctor easily used the sonic to get it open. They rushed in, Harriet grabbing the red briefcase and hugging it to her chest, Indra shuffled to the main door and started in horror at the three green aliens, and Rose and Lyla followed the Doctor as he snatched up a decanter of alcohol and placed his sonic on the bottle. He turned to the aliens with a sharp warning, "One more move and my sonic device will triplicate the flammability of this alcohol. Whoof, we all go up. So, back off." Once the hostiles paused, he continued, "Right then. Question time. Who exactly are the Slitheen?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Harriet interrupted, "They're aliens."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes. I got that, thanks." The Doctor threw over his shoulder sarcastically.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Who are you, if not human?" One of the Slitheen answered his question with a question.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Who's not human?" Harriet asked, confused.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh. My. Fucking. God." Lyla losing her temper. She turned toward Harriet with a small glare, "The Doctor is not human. He's alien. And yes, he sounds northern. Lots of fucking planets have a north. Now hush up and watch the Doctor outsmart the hostiles."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Thanks," the Doctor added. He went back to asking the Slitheen questions, "You've got a spaceship hidden in the North Sea. It's transmitting a signal. You've murdered your way to the top of government. What for, invasion?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A Slitheen answered, "Why would we invade this God-forsaken rock?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Then something brought the Slitheen race here. What is it?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Slitheen is not our species. Slitheen is our surname. Jocrassa Fel Fotch Pasameer-Day-Slitheen at your service," Margaret answered patronizingly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So, you're family," the Doctor clarified, finally putting two and two together.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Family Business," one of the Slitheen proudly stated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Then you're out to make a profit. How can you do that on a God-forsaken rock?" The Doctor questioned with a raised eyebrow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Slitheen questioned the Doctor knowing he was lying, "Ah, excuse me? Your device will do what? Triplicate the flammability?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor gave a false grin and hesitated, "Is that what I said?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You're making it up," the Slitheen declared.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Ah, well! Nice try." He reached behind him and offered the decanter to Indra, "Indra, have a drink. I think you're gonna need it."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Indra gave a nervous glance down at the offered alcohol and said softly, "You pass it to the left first."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Sorry," he handed it to Lyla, who took the offered liquor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She took the top off before taking a big swallow of what she found to be scotch, "Thanks." She took another drink and moved to a chair, where she flopped down in exhaustion and pain. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Jesus that burns. I hate scotch.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She heard the conversation continue as she slowly sipped the scotch now that she was seated. "Now we can end this hunt with a slaughter," one of the brothers trilled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Doctor. The doors," Indra whispered to the Timelord.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Fascinating history, Downing Street. Two thousand years ago, this was marsh land. In 1730, it was occupied by a Mister Chicken. He was a nice man. 1796, this was the Cabinet Room," he lectured as he reached over to a panel and flipped it open to reveal a red switch. "If the Cabinet's in session and in danger, these are about the four safest walls in the whole of Great Britain. End of lesson." He pushed the button and metal shutters slammed down over the windows and doors. "Installed in 1991. Three inches of steel lining every single wall. They'll never get in," he finished proudly with a grin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla snorted from the table as she took another gulp of the scotch, "Yeah and how do we get out, Smarty Pants." </span>
  <em>
    <span>Again, that fucking burns.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked over everyone but held his eyes on Lyla, "Right." His frown deepened as he watched her guzzle the scotch down. He quickly walked over and snatched the decanter from her loose grip. "What are you doing? Trying to get drunk. We are in the middle of something," he accused and questioned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yep." She popped the 'p' and giggled. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Well, that went straight to the head. And not where I need it to go.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He took a deep breath, calming his nagging thoughts. The Doctor looked around the Cabinet Room to see the prime minister's body and the used skin suit still laying in a heap on the floor. He walked over and started moving the bodies to the closet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Harriet sat down beside Lyla and started going through the red briefcase full of emergency protocols. Rose and Indra sat opposite the two and watched as Lyla flopped her head down on the table and Harriet flipped through the papers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor spoke up after he cleared the room of the dead body and skin suit, "Right, what have we got? Any terminals, anything?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose sighed and looked around, "No. This place is antique." Her face took on a look of confusion, "What I don't get is, when they killed the Prime Minister, why didn't they use him as a disguise?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"He's not fat enough obviously. All the others are slightly overweight individuals. More room." Lyla slurred from her bent position. Her arm came up to hug around her middle. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That fucking hurts. Don't cry. I can't cry yet. Jobs not done.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"But the Slitheen are about eight feet. How do they fit inside?" Rose asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That's the device around their necks. Compression field. Literally shrinks them down a bit. That's why there's all that gas. It's a big exchange," The doctor explained as he took up at the head of the table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Wish I had a compression field. I could fit a size smaller," Rose whispered with a slight snicker.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Harriet looked up at Rose with a disapproving frown, "Excuse me, people are dead! This is not the time for making jokes."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Sorry. You get used to this stuff when you're friends with him," Rose explained with a sigh and a shrug at the Doctor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, that's a strange friendship," Harriet observed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla looked up and gave a harsh laugh that caused the others to pause and look over at her as she mumbled into the tabletop, "It's really not. We save the world Harriet. Death is part of the job. If we don't find laughter in the middle of what could possibly be a deadly situation then we would be paralyzed in fear and distress just like any other random person on the street." She rolled her head to the side to look at Harriet, "It's a coping mechanism easily found in first responders and cops. Don't judge a book by its cover Harriet Jones. Be better than that."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Harriet Jones. I've heard that name before. Harriet Jones. You're not famous for anything, are you?" Doctor interrupted, pretending to not pay full attention to the conversation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Harriet rolled her eyes, "Oh, hardly." </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, you'll be known as something if I don't stop you next Christmas.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Rings a bell. Harriet Jones…" He snapped his fingers a couple of times in thought.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Lifelong backbencher I'm afraid, and a fat lot of use I'm being now." Harriet explained but got easily distracted by the emergency protocols in her hands, "The Protocols are redundant. They list the people who could help and they're all dead downstairs."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hasn't it got, like, defense codes and things? Couldn't we just launch a nuclear bomb at them?" Rose said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh yes, like we didn't learn from War World II. The answer to everything is 'Let's throw a bomb at them.' Really Rose." Lyla snarled with a bit of bite in her voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You're a very violent young woman," Harriet volunteered off handily towards Rose.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose looked at the top of Lyla's head when she replied, "I'm serious. We could."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Like that information is in a red notebook in a famous house in London," Lyla sneered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"If you're going to nothing but be a sarcastic bitch the whole time Lyla, shut up," Rose snapped.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla's head popped up and looked at Rose with a cold stare, "You little-."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was cut off from her comeback when the Doctor snapped, "Lyla. That's enough."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla rolled her eyes and placed her forehead back down on the table with an annoyed huff. Ignoring the rest of the room, she closed her eyes and let her mind wander. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ok so Operation save Indra was a success. I'm bleeding. Haven't looked yet but it hurts like a bitch. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She shifted in her seat with a soft hiss of pain as her stomach muscles pulled. No adrenaline in her system to ignore that pain.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As she was focused on the pain of her stomach, she missed most of the conversation that flowed around her. She finally looked up and tuned back into her surroundings, just in time to hear Jackie yell over the phone, "It's the Slickeen!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mickey said solemnly over the phone, "They've found us."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Mickey, I need that signal," the Doctor said desperately.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Really." Lyla hissed at him completely fed up with the situation. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ok, long lasting pain makes me short tempered. But it does that for everyone. Right?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose leaned over the table and desperately yelled to the phone. "Never mind the signal, get out! Mum just get out! Get out!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"We can't. It's by the front door," Mickey said over the phone. "Oh, my God, it's unmasking. It's going to kill us."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Harriet pointed out desperately, "There's got to be some way of stopping them! You're supposed to be the expert, think of something!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm trying!" the Doctor added.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose looked toward the doctor with a desperate air around her and whispered, "That's my mother." </span>
  <em>
    <span>Like he doesn't know that already Rose. Stop stating the obvious.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He paused and looked at Rose before leaning against the table and addressed the room, "Right, if we're going to find their weakness, we need to find out where they're from. Which planet. So, judging by their basic shape, that narrows it down to five thousand planets within travelling distance. What else do we know about them? Information!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In rapid fire Rose, Harriet and Indra shouted out information.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"They're green," Rose started.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Narrows it down."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Good sense of smell," Indra added.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Narrows it down."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"The pig technology," Harriet stated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Narrows it down."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"The spaceship in the Thames, you said slipstream engine?" Rose jumped in again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Narrows it down."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"They hunt like it's a ritual," Indra chimed in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Narrows it down."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla finally interjected, "When they fart, they smell like bad breath."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Calcium decay. Now that narrows it down." the Doctor intoned enthusiastically.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose spoke toward the phone again, "We're getting there, Mum!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mickey said over the phone back to her, "Too late!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor carried on as if the two weren't talking, "Calcium phosphate. Organic calcium. Living calcium. Creatures made of living calcium. What else? What else? Hyphenated surname. Yes! That narrows it down to one planet. Raxacoricofallapatorius."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh, yeah, great. We could write 'em a letter." The sarcastic reply came from Mickey as they heard the door splinter and the Slitheen roar over the phone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Get into the kitchen!" The Doctor shouted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They heard the shuffling and snarling over the phone lessen a bit as a door shut. Jackie was then heard over the phone, "My God, it's going to rip us apart!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Calcium weakened by the compression field. Acetic acid. Vinegar!" the Doctor explained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Harriet exclaimed in realization, "Just like Hannibal!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor gave the older woman a smile and agreed, "Just like Hannibal." He addressed the phone again, "Mickey, have you got any vinegar?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"How should I know?" Mickey asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor rolled his eyes, "It's your kitchen."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Cupboard by the sink, middle shelf," Rose interjected quickly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They heard the phone shuffle hands Jackie comes through clearly, "Oh, give it here. What do you need?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Anything with vinegar!" The Doctor yelled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sounds of splashing liquid came over the phone as Jackie poured an assortment of pickled items in a bowl, "Gherkins. Yeah, pickled onions. Pickled eggs."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And you kiss this man?" the Doctor questioned Rose with a disgusted look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They heard the door come down and a high-pitched screeching noise that signaled the entrance of the Slitheen. The sound stopped just for them to hear a fart followed by a loud squish and splat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose let out a breath and held up a small glass of scotch while Indra questioned, "Hannibal?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Harriet took the time to explain as she held her glass up, "Hannibal crossed the Alps by dissolving boulders with vinegar."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh. Well, there you go then," Rose stated as she sipped the scotch with the rest of the occupants besides Lyla, who was leaning on her hand still sitting at the table. Her other arm pressed against her stomach to somewhat stop the flow of blood she could fill soaking her jeans and top. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Don't pass out. That would be embarrassing.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The four had their drink then heard Mickey speak over the line, "Listen to this."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The five occupants listen closely to the News Station, "Our inspectors have searched the sky above our heads, and they have found massive weapons of destruction capable of being deployed within forty-five seconds."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What," the Doctor said in disbelief.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But the news cast went on, "Our technicians can baffle the alien probes, but not for long. We are facing extinction unless we strike first. The United Kingdom stands directly beneath the belly of the mother ship. I beg of the United Nations, pass an emergency resolution. Give us the access codes. A nuclear strike at the heart of the beast is our only chance of survival, because, from this moment on it is my solemn duty to inform you that planet Earth is at war."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As the news cast ended the Doctor launched into a tirade, "He's making it up. There's no weapons up there, there's no threat. He just invented it."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Do you think they'll believe him?" Harriet questioned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"They did last time," came from Indra as he took another pull from his glass.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor paced, "That's why the Slitheen went for spectacle. They want the whole world panicking because you lot, you get scared, you lash out."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What does a wounded animal do when it's threatened," Lyla spoke in a soft voice that grabbed the attention of everyone in the room. When no one spoke up to answer her question she continued in a solemn voice, "It snarls."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A pause rippled through the room with only Rose breaking the silence, "So, they release the defense code."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And the Slitheen go nuclear," the Doctor jumped back into the discussion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Harriet asked the real question that ran through everyone's mind at that moment, "But why?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor walked over toward the metal shutters that was the door and pushed the button giving the view of the room to the Slitheen. He jumped right in with asking the hard-pressed questions, "You get the codes, release the missiles, but not into space because there's nothing there. You attack every other country on Earth. They retaliate, fight back. World War Three. Whole planet gets nuked."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Margaret, back in her skin suit, added proudly, "And we can sit through it safe in our spaceship waiting in the Thames. Not crashed, just parked. Only two minutes away."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"But you'll destroy the planet, this beautiful place. What for?" Harriet asked in confusion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But the Doctor answered her, "Profit. That's what the signal is beaming into space. An advert."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Margaret smiled a wicked smile as she monologues, "The sale of the century. We reduce the Earth to molten slag, then sell it piece by piece. Radioactive chucks, capable of powering every cut-price star liner and budget cargo ship. There's a recession out there, Doctor. People are buying cheap. This rock becomes raw fuel."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"At the cost of five billion lives," the Doctor objected.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Margaret claimed, "Bargain."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I give you a choice. Leave this planet or I'll stop you," threatened the Doctor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Margaret looked back at her brothers and they all started giggling. "What, you? Trapped in your box?" She taunted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Wrong thing to say sister," Lyla cautioned under her breath, but everyone still heard her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor quickly added, "Yes. Me." </span>
  <em>
    <span>And there is the beginning of the Oncoming storm.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He pushed the red button again and the metal shutters came down. The last thing they saw was the patronizing smile slip from Margaret's face.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Everyone took a deep breath and returned to their seats. They could hear the television still playing the news over the phone at Mickey's flat. Lyla slumped further into her seat, not noticing Indra paying close attention to her face and actions, "Does anyone else think that she looks sick."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor turned a critical eye on Lyla as he made his way around the table and turned her chair swiftly to where she was facing him. She moaned and slumped forward, just catching herself on his shoulder before she fell to the floor. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Don't lose your cookies. Do not vomit on the inconsiderate Timelord. He would not appreciate that. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He gave her a once over but ended up focusing in on her abdomen, where her black shirt looked damp compared to the rest. He slowly lifted the shirt displaying the jagged slash to him. It started under her left ribs and crossed to just above her right hip. The cut was slowly but steadily leaking blood down her stomach and was absorbed by the front of her jeans. "Oh, you stupid woman," he all but snarled as he dropped the shirt and lifted her from the chair to just place her on the table and pushed her into a supine position.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her feet hung over the edge of the table as he stepped up between her knees and lifted her shirt again to get a better look. Once the other occupants witnessed the wound, they gasped as one and made their way over to watch as the Doctor did as he was named. He became Lyla's Doctor. Again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla looked at the concerned faces around her and laughed softly but gently, trying not to use too many stomach muscles, "It's blood, not nuclear waste. Chill out with the horrified faces."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"How long?" was the only thing that passed the Doctor's lips as he dug around in his pockets for his emergency tiny med kit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla looked down and up at him, where he was situated between her legs and bent over her stomach. She frowned when she saw the repressed anger and tightened eyes.</span>
  <em>
    <span> And there is the full Oncoming storm. Who knew it was that easy to provoke? It just took getting cut open and not saying anything.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She decided to question him instead of answering his demand, "Why are you mad?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked up at her to see her head tilted to the side with genuine curiosity. He let out a puff of air through his nose before losing some of his temper seconds later. "You," he snarled and slammed the tiny red box on the table beside her, "You could have bled out while we have been yammering on about nuclear strikes." He backed up and paced in front of her with a hand flying to his head to rub it in agitation, "And you don't even care about your life enough to say anything. You just sat there."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She pushed herself into a seated position on the table, slapping hands away that offered her help. Lyla watched him pace and rub his head before she interrupted him with a quiet but firm, "My life isn't worth billions of innocent lives." She saw a mutinous expression cross his face when she said that, but she ignored it and turned slightly to the speaker phone and addressed Jackie over the line, "That's the job Jackie. That's what he has taught us in the short amount of time being with him. We learned to care for others before ourselves. Even if that means our lives are forfeit in return." Her eyes turned back to the Doctor and stared him down as she continued, "You must do what's right over what it is you want." Her eyes flicked to Rose then back to the speaker phone that she was addressing, "And if you believe for one second that Rose doesn't share those thoughts, then you need to have a long look at the girl you raised, because she has the biggest heart out of everyone in this room." She gave a weak chuckle, "What's the price of one when you could save billions." She turned back to the Doctor and gave him a small true smile. "I trust you. And now that we have time, I think that I need my Doctor please," she breathed as held his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>An echoing silence followed her monologue. The doctor slowly stepped back up to her and pushed her gently back down on the table. He pulled the med kit toward him and started unpacking gauze, alcohol swabs, and a tiny suture kit. He looked around and started barking out orders to the others. "Is there anything in that liquor cabinet besides scotch? If there is any clear liquor bring it here. I need a cloth of some sort. Like an extra tablecloth or even a piece of this one will do." He asked the room at large. The others jumped to attention and started following his rushed orders.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before he could really start demanding things, Lyla grabbed his hand and spoke quietly, "Doctor, it doesn't need to be perfect. Just needs to hold long enough to get to the Tardis." She saw his mutinous stare he gave to her words and huffed with an eye roll, "Really. Rough and dirty," she winked and added, "Just clean it good enough to stitch up to stop the bleeding. I won't do any major movements until we are back at the Tardis, so I won't rip open your hard work. Promise," she ended on a sigh and a slightly pleading look. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ignoring the roller coaster ride by missile that I am so not looking forward to… sure no fast movements from me.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked down at her and shook his head slightly before he ripped the alcohol swabs open to start cleaning the wound so he could see what he was working with. "You're lucky this isn't too deep," he whispered on a sigh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla hissed out a breath with the first swipe of the alcohol wipe and Rose grabbed her hand to help distract her from what the doctor was doing. "I should have known something was wrong. You normally don't snap at me or anyone really like you did earlier," Rose said quietly to Lyla.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Not your fault. Other things on everyone's mind besides why your normally patient and calm Texan is suddenly biting everyone's head off," Lyla reasoned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla hissed and jerked her head up to look at the Doctor when the first pull and biting sting of the needle met her skin. He froze and gently pushed the women back flat on the table so he could work. Lyla closed her eyes and took several even breaths as he worked just trying to ignore the pain of getting stitched up without a local anesthetic. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Breath. I have had stitches before. I know what he is doing. There is no reason for me to look and see what he is doing.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before Lyla could get too deep into her panic and pain her mouth started rambling, "You know Doc," she slurred quietly, "I'm three for three. Or is it four for four. For some reason, every adventure ends with you patching me up in some way." She hummed as she thought about all their adventures so far. "Burnt hands on platform one, bruised vocal cords and gas filled lungs in Cardiff, broke hand at Albion hospital, and now this. Stitched up at Downing Street." She turned her head and looked at the Doctor that was leaning over her stomach, with an amused smile she stated softly to the alien, "Good thing I travel with my Doctor." Lyla's head rolled back to staring at the ceiling and whispered to herself, "I think I might me a bit accident prone, or the universe is out to get me." </span>
  <em>
    <span>Most likely the second one. This Universe is going to make me work in fixing it.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor cleared his throat roughly and stood up straight as he wiped his hands on a spare alcohol wipe, "Right. All done. No sudden movements." He wrapped a hand around one of her wrists to pull her gently upright and helped Lyla down from the table where she found herself back into a chair. The other occupants in the room shuffled away to do their own thing while they waited on more news from Mickey. Harriet Jones sat herself in a chair with the emergency protocols to do some reading with Indra reading over the content she put aside; Rose started talking softly to her mother and Mickey on the phone. The Doctor kneeled down beside Lyla and lifted a hand to gently tug a lock of hair grabbing her attention, "It's not a competition on being the most jeopardy friendly of all my companions. Stop trying to outdo the last adventure." </span>
  <em>
    <span>I swear to god if he pulls my hair one more time.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"If I didn't Doctor," Lyla nodded her head softly in Indra's direction, "You would've had to move two bodies and a skin suit into that closet." She caught the Doctor's eyes when she turned back to him, "I will not stand aside when I could be doing something."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Timelord took a shuddering breath and with a sad shake of his head he muttered, "Please don't make me call your family to tell them that you died while with me."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She lifted a hand to stroke the back of his neck with sad eyes and a fragile smile, "My family is gone. No one for you to call."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He leaned forward to rest his forehead on hers and with a shuddering breath and a slight shake of his head he leaned further up to place a kiss on her forehead before he muttered roughly, "Remember no sudden movements."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She huffed out a slight laugh, "Sir yes, Sir."</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>The sun was now rising on Downing Street when Jackie finally spoke up about the potential world ending situation after hearing the newscasters bleak outlook. "All right, Doctor. I'm not saying I trust you, but there must be something you can do." </span>
  <em>
    <span>Alright my part is done. Saved everyone that I could now it's up to the others. Just keep an eye on events so we all don't die but the hard work is over. Thank god.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Harriet, who was up pacing around, tapped the side of the alcohol container and offered, "If we could ferment the port, we could make acetic acid." </span>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah, that would have been helpful hours ago when we first got in here. Great timing future Prime Minister.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose leaning over the table to get closer to the speaker phone asked, "Mickey, any luck?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"There's loads of emergency numbers. They're all on voicemail," Mickey answered over the speaker phone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, that's fucking peachy. Ain't it." Lyla commented lightly with a slurred and thick accent due to weariness. Her head was thrown back against the chair and her eyes closed, while her arm was wrapped around her middle. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Man, almost bleeding out is no joke. Must not fall asleep.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"If we could just get out of here," Indra reasoned in a small voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"There's a way out," the resident Alien said in a low voice. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If I didn't know what was going to happen, I would probably be mad at you for withholding information. Especially information that could help us get out of this tiny wood room.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What," voiced everyone that wasn't injured, their heads snapped to the Doctors.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor clarified and finally looked up to the room at large, "There's always been a way out." </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hmm. Always the one for dramatics.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Then why don't we use it," Rose demanded as she got closer to the Timelord.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Because I can't guarantee your daughter will be safe," He said as he leaned over the table closer to the speaker phone but also, he leaned next to Lyla in the process.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sounds of outrage and pleading come over the speaker phone as Jackie protested, "Don't you dare. Whatever it is, don't you dare."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That's the thing. If I don't dare, everyone dies."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Do it," Rose immediately responded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor jerked is head up to look at Rose in confusion, "You don't even know what it is. You'd just let me?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah," she responded full of trust.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Please, Doctor. Please. She's my daughter. She's just a kid." Jackie's voice pleaded to the Timelord over the speaker.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He took a quick breath and looked away from the speaker and said with a desperate edge in his voice, "Do you think I don't know that? Because this is my life, Jackie," he retorted. "It's not fun, it's not smart, it's just standing up and making a decision because nobody else will," he snapped. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Man, that was better in person than witnessing it on a television show.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Then what're you waiting for?" Rose responded back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I could save the world but lose the both of you," he tried to reason with one of his companions, while flicking his eyes down toward his other hurt companion who was already looking at him with eyes full of trust and a small smile stretching across her face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla reached over to circle a hand around his wrist that was on the table next to her. Her fingers stroked the skin she found as she lifted her head to stare at the speaker in the center of the table. Lyla finally added her two cents, "Like I said earlier Jackie, Rose has the biggest heart in this room. Be proud you raised a daughter that is willing to put everyone else before herself. She is old enough to know what she wants to do and how to live her life. You raised a magnificent woman." She smiled at Rose. "As for my opinion," she smiled and looked back at the Doctor, "You know my answer, but if you have to hear me say it then. Do it. Have faith that everything will work out and do it."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Except it's not your decision, Doctor. It's mine," every head in the room snapped to Harriet as she spoke.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Over the phone Jackie demanded, "And who the hell are you?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North. The only elected representative in this room, chosen by the people for the people. And on behalf of the people, I command you. Do it."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla laughed with a slight wince when it pulled at her stitches and watched a smile bloom across the Doctors face. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Missed opportunity with not showing the badge Harriet. It would have sealed the deal.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose took a deep breath and asked, "How do we get out?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor quickly stood tall and grabbed the Emergency Protocol booklet from the briefcase and started flipping through it in a face clip. He answered Rose as he searched, "We don't. We stay here." He finally found what he was looking for and addressed Mickey over the phone, "Mickey, use the buffalo password. It overrides everything."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mickey addressed something Jackie said and was back to narrating what he was seeing on his end, "We're in. Here it is. HMS Taurean, Trafalgar Class submarine, ten miles off the coast of Plymouth."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Right, we need to select a missile," the Doctor commented distractedly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"We can't go nuclear. We don't have the defense codes," Mickey reminded the Timelord.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"We don't need it. All we need's an ordinary missile," the Doctor reassured Mickey. "What's the first category?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Sub Harpoon, UGM-A4A," Mickey faintly said over the speaker.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That's the one. Select," the Timelord said with a faint manic smile forming on his face. The room's occupants can hear Jackie muttering something over the speaker phone and Mickey's muffled answer back to Jackie. The Doctor grabbed Mickey's attention again, "You ready for this." A couple of silent seconds later, Mickey answered an affirmative to which the Doctor stated calmly to the other man on the phone, "Mickey the idiot, the world is in your hands. Fire."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The occupants of the room all took a deep breath and looked at each other before Rose jumped up and started looking around frantically, "All right, now I'm making the decision. I'm not going to die. We're going to ride this one out. It's like what they say about earthquakes. You can survive them by standing under a door frame." She came to stop at the closet and looked inside and tried to determine its sturdiness for what was about to happen. "Now, this cupboard's small so it's strong. Come and help me. Come on." Harriet and Indra jump up to help the blonde with clearing out the closet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla heaved herself up and stood close to the Doctor as he watched the others work. "We will be fine." She smiled serenely up at him and with a tug on his leather jacket she reassured, "Have faith." She made her way around the table and to the entrance of the closet that was currently being emptied. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ok. Almost the end. Just a really fucked up roller coaster next. I always hated roller coasters.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mickey's voice came back over the speaker, "It's on radar. Counter defense 556"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Stop them intercepting it," commanded the Doctor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm doing it now."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Good boy," the Doctor praised him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"556 neutralized," Mickey confirmed just as the Doctor yanked the cell phone from the speaker on the table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The occupants piled into the closet with the Doctor tucking Lyla under an arm. Harriet looked at everyone and said with a bit of laugh, "Here we go. Nice knowing you all. Hannibal!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everyone grabbed hands with their neighbor and with Rose next to the entrance and being held by the hand by Lyla then the Doctor who had the Texan tucked under his arm in a tight hold. Harriet and Indra on the Doctors other side.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They could hear the whistle of the missile just before everything became chaos. The whole room shook, and tumbled end over end. The faintest thought floated through Lyla's mind; </span>
  <em>
    <span>this is worse than the first time in the Tardis. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She felt her stitches stretch and pull as they flipped and rolled in the closet.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Finally, everything came to a standstill. All was quiet for several seconds before they started moving and untangling themselves. Lyla found herself half under the Doctor, his hand on the back of her head to stop the worst of the head trauma damage that she was likely to get with her luck. One of her arms she found that Rose had ended up laying on while she felt another's legs tangled with hers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Several groans could be heard from the occupants of the cupboard as their bodies realized that the traumatic and sudden roller coaster was over. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That is going to leave a bruise. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Lyla looked around and caught Rose's eyes first, "You good."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose groaned and slowly pushed herself off Lyla's arm, "Yeah. You?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I think. Knight in shining armor here saved me from any head trauma, which knowing my luck today I would have gotten. Have you hit your head any?" Lyla questioned with a concerned look while poking the Doctor lightly in the side to help persuade him to move.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No, but everything else took a beating," Rose groaned out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Heard that," she replied to Rose as she finally looked at the Timelord that was currently not moving far from his position. She saw that he was slowly lifting the bottom of her shirt to see if she had ripped any stitches. Lyla swatted his hands away and gave him a pointed look while pushing on his shoulders to get him to move. "Budge dude. Seriously, I'm fine."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Like I'm going to believe you," he stated plainly and lifted himself up to a standing position and helped Lyla up. Both looked around at the others to see that they were making their way to their feet as well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Okay, I'm just gonna say what is on everyone else's mind. I never want to do that again. 0 out of 10 would not recommend it," Lyla muttered to herself as she looked around at the destruction to the cabinet room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor flourished his hand toward the metal door, "Well, Shall we?" He walked over, pushing fallen debris out of the way, clearing a path for the humans to follow. He pushed open the metal door, causing the door to land with a loud crash in the smoldering remains outside.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Harriet and Indra were the first out of the metal box which Harriet patted with a fond and slightly crazed laugh, "Made in Britain."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor helped Rose out of the metal box and down to the rubble quickly followed by Lyla, who he flat out picked up and set back down once out of the box. She gave him a raised eyebrow and a stern look, "I could have done that myself you know." </span>
  <em>
    <span>Who knew he was this chivalrous? Or controlling? But… he also has never had a companion that has had as much medical attention as I have had. I mean seriously… Universe, what do you have against me? I'm just here to help and make sure you don't end up dying, cut me some slack.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You have stitches on your stomach and was just in a missile strike. You are lucky that I put you down at all," he said mimicking her raised eyebrow and tone of voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The three turned to Indra and Harriet just in time to hear Harriet gasp, "Oh, Lord. We haven't even got a Prime Minister."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Maybe you should have a go," the Doctor stated with a smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose piped up, "I'd vote for you."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"If I was a British citizen, I'd most likely vote for ya," Lyla said with a cheeky smile toward the older woman.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She smiled at the three, "Now, don't be silly. Look, I'd better go and see if I can help." Harriet and Indra walked off to see if they could help the soldiers and media.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor got a large smile on his face and leaned down to his two companions with a slight laugh, "I thought I knew the name. Harriet Jones, future Prime Minister. Elected for three successive terms. The architect of Britain's Golden Age." He looked down at the two and grabbed a hand of each of the girls and tugged them toward the road and back to where the Tardis was left.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>The three made it to the Tardis where Rose peels off, "I need to see my mum. Catch up with you later. No taking off this time Doctor."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla waved her away and stepped into the Tardis behind the Doctor. He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the center console where he flicked some levers and switches before he made his way to the hallway and then the med bay that sat around the first bend. Lyla chuckled, "Guess she knows how bad off I am. Or just likes me." She walked to the bed and slowly climbed on top just to lay flat so he could see her wound fully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Doctor walked over to a drawer and pulled out a pair of scissors before he walked to a different cupboard to pull out a spray bottle with what she could see was a fluorescent yellow liquid. He walked back and sprayed the wound causing Lyla to flinch from the cold liquid and to prompt her to ask, "And what hell was that?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Numbing spray so I can get the stitches out without causing you more pain then necessary." He said flatly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So, not in a good mood. I guess that's understandable. Maybe.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Alright, what's the problem now." Lyla asked with a raised eyebrow and an exasperated tone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You were right. Every time you have stepped out of this box with me, you have gotten hurt," the Doctor said harshly as he started cutting and pulling the stitches from her stomach. "Every. Single. Time." He spat out each word and was punctuated by a clipped and pulled out stitch. He never hurt her, but she could see the frustration with every movement he made. "What happens next time when I can't fix it 'Rough and Dirty'-like," he snarled as he pulled the stitches loose and away from her body. "You have no care over your own safety," he spat out to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla watched him throughout his quiet tirade about her wellbeing. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hmm, isn't that just interesting. </span>
  </em>
  <span>All was silent for a couple of minutes as he worked to remove the stiches and with Lyla deep in contemplation on how to fix the current mess, they were in. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I knew I was making a difference. He never acted like this with Rose or any of his other companions… not even River, his supposed wife. I guess that's a good thing. I never felt that River was good for him. It's completely different experiencing this war hardened Doctor compared to just vaguely getting a hint of that roughness and self-loathing from a tv screen.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla rolled her head to the side to watch the Timelord work on her fragile human body. She gave him a sad look as she continued to think, </span>
  <em>
    <span>oh you stupid old Alien. You are really blaming yourself for all of this aren't you. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Lyla sighed and turned her head back to looking at the ceiling with a rare frown. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That. Is. It. Doctor… you are getting put on mandatory hugs. All. The. Time. Every chance I get, I'm giving you a hug and maybe if you're lucky… ah hell who am I kidding… If I'm lucky, a cuddle.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla surfaced from her thoughts of cuddling the Timelord when she noticed the Doctor putting away his tools. When he put the borrowed tools away, he pulled over a large scanner device and sat it up over Lyla's slightly oozing wound. The scanner gave a beep and beamed down a blue light that roamed back and forth over her abdomen. Even through the numbing spray she could feel the slightest buzzing, like there were a million bees or butterflies wings beating under her skin. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That puts a whole new meaning to butterflies fluttering in your stomach.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All was silent in the room while the machine worked to heal the human laying on the bed. Lyla watched the Doctor as he monitored the machine and her closing wound. After what felt like an hour but could have been only minutes, he pulled the machine away and checked to make sure all was healed to his satisfaction.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Am I good," Lyla commented lightly when he moved the machine back to its original place in the med bay.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He grunted and with a nod from him she finally sat up. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Game Time. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Lyla swung her legs over the edge of the bed and hooked her foot into a rolling stool to pull it closer, so it was situated in front of her. With a curl of her lip, she nodded to the stool, "Have a seat then." He looked her over and slowly approached the stool to lower himself down into it. Lyla struck lightning fast and grabbed the back of his neck to yank him closer to her. His arms flail out to maintain balance and to stop her from pulling him completely off the stool in his surprise. "Now that I have your attention, I'm going to say this once and only once Doctor. Are you listening?" She waited for the slightest of nods from him before she continued, "You say I don't care about what happens to me and you are right to a certain extent. I don't. What I do care about is the safety of everyone else around me. If you have a hard time thinking about who that reminds you of, you should have a gander in a mirror." Her hand tightened on the back of his neck as she continued to talk, "My dad was a cop. I was raised to expect the worst when you get a phone call at 2 am. I made sure he never left the house without words of love and safety. I was raised to protect everyone and to see the best in everyone until proven otherwise." She paused for a breath and to blink tears away that came from talking about her parents. She pressed on anyways with a rough but strong voice, "I remember my dad coming home and just hugging me and my mother after a bad call or shift. I know this life you lead Doctor. I know it all too well. I know the feeling of standing up and doing something when everyone else is too scared or unwilling." Lyla shook her head and gave him a small smile, "This," she gestured down to her stomach with a wave of her hand, "'Tis just a flesh wound," she finished.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stared at her for a long time just digesting everything she spilled out. With a huff and his hand came up to undo her grip from his neck and he finally replied, "Just because you know this life doesn't mean that I like you getting hurt because of it."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well sweetheart, I don't like getting hurt either. Its fucking painful but if that little bit of pain can save someone's life… I'm gonna take that deal. Every. Damn. Time," she promised. Lyla got a thoughtful look on her face as she tried to extend an olive branch that she was ok with, "How 'bout a compromise. You care about my wellbeing and I'll care about yours. We'll both care about everyone else. That way everyone is covered."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That's not any different then what we have been doing and look how that has turned out," he said straight faced.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Ah, but it is. Because we both know that we will have each other's backs. It has been spoken and agreed upon. No take backs." She pointed a finger at him and lightly poked him while he contemplated everything that has been said between the two.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He continued to look at her with a tilted head and raised eyebrow just trying to fit all these new pieces of the Lyla puzzle together. She shook her head and patted his chest while hopping off the bed and making her way to the door. Once she reached it, she turned back around with a parting warning to the still seated Doctor, "Oh and by the way Doctor. You tug or pull my hair again and I won't be responsible for my actions," she winked and flashed him a saucy smile. "Just a fair warnin' Sweets!" She called over her shoulder as she turned to leave the med bay.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She made her way down the hallway and back to the console room. She could hear the Timelord following her, so she threw over her shoulder, "I need to stop in at my flat to make sure everything is in order." Once at the console she turned to him, "You won't leave me, right?" she questioned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No, I won't leave. You know what I've been meaning to give you this." He reached in his jean pocket and pulled out a Tardis key. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Really his jean pocket. Afraid you might lose it in the leather jacket with its bigger on the inside pockets?</span>
  </em>
  <span> He stepped forward and placed the silver key in her open hand as she stared at it in open shock. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I have a key to the Tardis. Holy Shit! I have a key to the Tardis. Don't fangirl. Don't do it.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I was beginning to wonder if you didn't trust me enough with a key," she muttered as she closed her fist around the tiny bit of metal making it even more real to Texan. </span>
  <em>
    <span>OK this is a perfect hug moment. Bring it in. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Lyla looked up into his face and threw her arms around his shoulders and tucked her head into his neck to whisper against his skin, "Thank you," she said sincerely. The Doctor stood frozen for a couple of seconds before he looped his arms around her waist and ducked his head into hair. He gave a slight tightening of his arms when she spoke against his neck but didn't move from his current position around her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla slowly unwound her arms from his shoulders and slid her hands down until she finally had to take a small step back but never breaking his hold around her waist and her hands coming to rest on his forearms. Her face tilted up towards his, where she gave him a beautiful wide smile. His eyes for a fraction of a second slipped from hers to her lips and back up in a flash. If she would have blinked, Lyla would have missed the lightning-fast motion. She instinctively licked her lips and saw heat flash in his eyes before he pulled away from her altogether. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Well, there goes that. My new daily mantra is going to have to be 'Don't jump the Doctor' isn't it.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Timelord backed off and cleared his throat looking for a subject change and trying not to look at his brown-haired companion. "We should be ready to leave in a couple of hours just a few things I still need to do." He fiddled with some of the controls and pulled the monitor towards himself, looking for a suitable distraction.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla smiled and took several quiet steps up the ramp and towards the door. "I'm serious, no leaving," she warned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He turned his body towards her and met her eyes across the console room when he said softly, "I promise I won't leave you behind." With an ever-present smile she slipped out the door.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Once outside, she leaned her back against the door to just breath for a second and to calm her thoughts and her body's reaction to a particular alien. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Right. Focus Lyla. You are not here to have sex with or to fall in love with the Doctor. You are here to make sure that events happen like they are supposed too. He is supposed to love Rose not you. Put your big girl panties on and get your game face back into place.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once under control, Lyla took off running to her flat to get things in order.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She stepped into her flat with a quiet sigh and made her way to her bathroom to have a long hot shower to wash the previous days' worth of pain, blood, and stress away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After she got dressed in a pair of yoga pants, that hadn't yet been considered trendy in this decade but Lyla not giving two shits because they were comfy, and an oversized dark green sweater that hung off one shoulder. She paired the whole outfit with her black converses. She deemed herself ready enough to go back to the Tardis.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was just stepping out of her flat after making sure that everything was off and ready for an extended vacation again. Lyla changed her bloody clothes and had already talked to Mrs. Brown and said her goodbyes to her when her phone rang. She pulled it out of her back pocket to look to see who was calling her. The name Tardis popped up on her caller ID and with a snort she flipped it open to hear what the Doctor had to say, "Hey. Whatcha need now?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Rose is trying to get me to eat with her mother," he complained. "I don't do domestics. I'm a 900-year-old alien, I don't eat with people's mothers," he was full on whining now. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, if you only knew how often you do the domestic thing.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Stop your complaining. And you do realize that you eat with us often. That does constitute the forbidden and horrible words of being domestic," Lyla pointed out teasingly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Don't rain on my parade Lyla," he shot back over the phone. "Anyway, are you on your way or do you have more </span>
  <em>
    <span>domestic</span>
  </em>
  <span> things to do?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I could be, for the right incentive," She said with a laugh. "So, my Doctor, entice me," she whispered softly over the phone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a pause and Lyla's began to breathe harder in anticipation of his next words. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh my God. Please entice me. Please. I'll be a good girl just please say the lines. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She heard the Doctor take a deep breath before saying just as softly, "There's this plasma storm brewing in the Horsehead Nebula." His voice dropped an octave as he continued, "Fires are burning ten million miles wide. We could fly the Tardis right into the heart of it then ride the shock wave all the way out."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lyla shivered and was remarkably close to panting over the phone when she asked, "Where would we end up Timelord?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Anywhere," he answered slowly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Right. I'm positive that voice is illegal on some faraway planet and 100% not fair. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Lyla, trying to play it cool and unaffected and failing miserably, had to clear her throat before anything would get past her suddenly dry mouth and with a thick southern accent she replied, "Consider me enticed. Be there soon." With that she snapped the phone closed and made the short walk back to the Tardis. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He should not be able to do this to me. My poor heart can't take this without getting hurt at the end of it.</span>
  </em>
</p>
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